


Summer Storms and Imaginary Kings

by jetredgirl



Series: ~Summer Storms~ [2]
Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: Adventure, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Pregnancy, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-27 05:16:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 113,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20942870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jetredgirl/pseuds/jetredgirl
Summary: She was almost certain he was imaginary, but she was wrong. Then a summer storm blew in, bringing with it the one she could never let go of. Her not so imaginary Goblin King. Love and Adventure await!





	1. Chapter 1

Summer Storms and Imaginary Kings

It was raining, Sarah was watching out her window, as she always did on these nights. Storms made her think of him. There was a little bluebird on the sill outside, thankfully under a small awning, sitting upon the eggs in it's nest. She watched as she thought of her imaginary king.

"He wasn't even real, Sarah, get a hold of yourself." She scolded herself. She knew it was just a dream, fueled by anger, and jealousy, and a teenaged girl's over dramatic hormone addled mind..but still. Something deep within her, kept that little bit of "what if" alive.

That little something was called hope. Hope that she wasn't crazy, at first, then hope that he was real..that they all were. Mostly, though, just him now. Above everything else, she desperately wanted him to be real, because the longing she felt was so real. What no one knew...but she did know, at the end, she had no choice.

Eventually, most of that hope faded, when in the light of day her friends did not come no matter how much she called them. When no owls mysteriously followed her, when no flash of glitter or glimpse of feathered blond hair or wispy capes ever appeared even in her peripheral vision. In the night, though, deep in her mind and in her dreams, he lived, and they danced, and kissed, and touched, and made love, and laughed. When her heart was broken, she turned to her dreams, for solace.

That hope, the length and breadth of a spider's web, buried deeply under the years. The failed relationships, stalled acting career, the friends who drifted away, the grief of the loss of both her parents...the absence of her stepmother and beloved brother, now almost a teenager, who she gave everything up for, across the country with Karen's family.

This is the life she wanted? This is what she refused her dreams for? No, no it wasn't...but that little piece of hope still lingered, like a ghost of a dream long dead.

Sarah sighed, shaking her head at her own foolishness. She turned away from the window of her 2nd floor walk up apartment, and went to shower and change for bed. She had to work 4 hours of overtime at the little cafe she was a waitress at, one of her coworkers called in sick at the last minute, so she was very tired from being on her feet all day.

It was nearly midnight now.

Freshly showered, and slipping into her nightshirt, she looked up at the mirror, her beloved vanity, that she once thought was a window to another world. Suddenly she saw a flash of..something behind her in the window, gasping aloud and turning quickly, nothing was there.

"Was that a face?" Sarah said out loud, to no one. That was weird, she thought. "Must have been my imagination, too much thinking about the past...or maybe it was that bird."

Or maybe, Sarah thought, you are just hallucinating, or was it a premonition? She had those sometimes, but she never told anyone.

Determined to get some rest, she slipped into bed, eyeing her window warily. "Well, if someone is out there, it must be a ghost or they must be able to hover...how silly can I get? Probably some silly thing like an owl or a...wait, owl? Even if it was an owl...Get a hold of yourself Sarah!"

She found a comfortable position and slipped into sleep, shoving her silly thoughts to the back of her mind and letting herself relax. She slipped into her beloved dreams of her imaginary king. They were dancing again, and he kissed her, making her ache.

A few hours later, Sarah awoke in silence. Literally, no sound. It was like the whole world paused, stopped completely, like it was holding it's breath.

"What on earth?" She reached down and on the blanket...a white feather. "Where did this come from? Did my pillow spring a leak? But this isn't a goose feather it's an..it's an..oh my God..it's an owl feather." She reached over to flip on the bedside light, but nothing happened. "Oh crap the power must have gone out." She threw back the covers, stood up, went to take a step and tripped...turning to see what she had tripped over, her eyes widened at the sight of a familiar red book, which had been tucked away in her closet, barely visible in the dark.

"Oh Lord, oh God...breathe Sarah, just breathe.." she told herself. The room was so dark. The ominous clouds still blocked the moonlight. She didn't know who or what, but something was there. She felt it. So she took a deep breath, and called out into the darkness.

"Who is there?"

A second ticked by, then two, the clock was so loud all of the sudden...

"Hello Sarah." A soft, accented voice called out to her from across the room, in the blackest corner, beyond her sight.

"Who the hell...Goblin King?!"

A single candle came to life, illuminating his face..that face that had haunted her...it's otherworldly beauty, those odd, hypnotizing eyes...holding her gaze for the first time in 12 years.

"Have you missed me dear girl? I know you have, for every time you think of me, I feel it." The Goblin King asked, his little smirk appearing.

He stood from where he had been sitting in her desk chair, observing her as she slept. Sitting the candle down upon the desk, he walked towards her.

"I..I..how did you come here now..why? I did not wish for you, I have never said your name!" Sarah replied, shaking a little.

Jareth's smiled widened, one eyebrow raised. "Oh you haven't? Well, I must beg to differ, for I am here at your wish..as always but a servant to do your bidding, it seems."

Sarah was speechless. She knew she did not wish for him, even though she may having been thinking of him as she feel asleep... "Oh, oh no..in my sleep, did..did I..?"

"May I ask, Sarah..were you dreaming of me..again?" Jareth asked slyly, knowing what the answer was, he heard his name fall from her lips, and in the next breath, was in her bedroom.

Sarah thought "Maybe, sometimes, okay, yes, now and then I have had dreams of you, but you have never came before!"

"Oh I have came many many times in your dreams my precious girl." Jareth said, the double entendre hard to miss.

"You know what I meant Goblin King! And how do you know..." Sarah snapped back, blushing red.

Jareth took a step forward and leaned in."I know when you dream of me, as well, and can see them, and if I you are dreaming of me, I always wish to see them. They are very..stimulating...I must commend you on you rich imagination. Tell me Sarah, did you master these...activities in these years we have been apart? You must be very popular."

Anger rushed through Sarah's body. "How dare you Jareth! While I am no virgin, I'm not a slut!"

Taking a step closer Jareth smoothly replied "Peace precious. I was merely curious. For while I could sense your thoughts and dreams when they directly concerned me, I could not come here and look in on you, as your words so effectively took away my ability to do that. Remember..no power? Besides, virginity is overrated, I prefer a bit of seasoning."

He was only a couple of steps away from Sarah now, and she could smell him...magic, rain, earth, moonlight...something sweet..vanilla? Oh God, she thought to herself, feeling her heat rise just from his proximity. No one ever made her feel like he did, even at 15.

She looked up into his eyes.."I didn't think you were even real, Jareth. I thought, well mostly, you were just a dream, a fantasy...something my mind came up with to deal with everything going on at the time."

Jareth could smell her too, her pheromones, her..arousal..his nostrils flared, his body hardening. Responding to the one woman in this world, or any world, who inflamed his passion so hotly.

Ignoring it, for the moment, he turned away. He crossed his hands behind his back, and looked towards the window. "Yes, but some part of you knew did it not, deep within your soul, so far down you barely realized it was there. Except in your dreams."

Turning slowly he continued. "Even as your conscious mind told you I was just a bit of fluff conjured up out of emotion, down hidden in your subconscious, you knew I would come eventually, and that you would call for me."

"I don't understand Jareth...why?" Sarah asked back, honestly curious, no longer mad, or even fearful. She left behind her fears a long time ago. Somehow she knew he would never hurt her...and she truly wanted to know why now, she would call to him, and he would answer.

He chose to ask a question, instead. "So, Sarah, how is your love life? Any handsome callers courting you...any lovers swept you off your feet by now? Dating? Betrothed? I see no evidence you are married."

"There is no one Goblin King, and my experiences have made me realize there probably never will be." Sarah answered, sounding a little sad even to herself.

"Such a pity, precious. One so lovely as you, left alone at night, unsatisfied. Surely you must turn heads." Jareth remarked, strolling around the room, running his gloved hands over her knickknacks.

Sarah's eyes narrowed, watching him slink around the candlelit room like a cat. Lithe, lanky, but exuding power... those legs.. that ass, that..oh my...how could one..man..or whatever he is, be so stunningly gorgeous? What is up with those pants? Pants that tight should be against the law in any world.

"What are you getting at, Goblin King?" She asked.

"I'm simply surmising why, a beautiful woman such as yourself would live this solitary existence, and spend most nights dreaming of one she believes is probably imaginary."

Turning once again, he walked up to Sarah, stopping right in front of her. Softer he said "Because really Sarah, you should be loved, and cherished, and wanted, by someone who truly appreciates your mind, your heart, and your soul. By a man strong enough to take you on. By your equal."

Sarah's breath caught..he was so close, she could reach out and touch him. Funny she didn't really remember touching him, except in the ballroom, in a dream. "Who would that be, Jareth?" Her voice barely above a whisper, "You?"

He looked down into her eyes, she was so close, he could just reach down and cup her face and...but he could not, until she said the words. "Sarah, I cannot answer that. Only you can say those words, my dear. There are rules, where I come from."

Sarah was confused. Rules? What rules? " Jareth, why...why me?"

He gave her such a look of complete desire, her knees weakened a little."Because Sarah, because of what no one knew." He said. He knew she would know then, what to say, what to do, or hoped she would. He did not want to lose her, to a brief human life, this mundane existence.

Sarah's eyes widened even more...gazing into those mysterious eyes, she knew what no one knew, but she didn't know what to say.

Trembling, she said "You..you..mean what, what it said, what I said, what you said, it's true? I don't know what to say Jareth, I really don't know!"

Jareth sighed, stepping back. "Sarah, you must search your heart, because I cannot do anything. Not until you say the words. You know words have power, and once they are said to each other, we cannot take them back.

"This is it, tonight, the last time you will ever see me, or I will ever see you, unless you say the words. Rules, Sarah. They are what they are, these damnable, unbreakable rules." He took two more steps back into darkness. "Maybe I was wrong." He said sadly. "Maybe you don't feel as deeply for me, what I thought you felt...maybe I should just leave you be."

Knowing this would push her to act, one way or another, he had to do it. He was not lying, he is granted this one time to plea for her hand, as she had conquered him. Her breathing out his name in her sleep gave him this chance. The chance he had waited for for a long time.

"Don't leave Jareth!" Sarah cried suddenly. Instinctively, whatever happened, she did not want him to be gone from her forever. She reached out, grabbing his cape pulling him close, his face within an inch of hers. "Don't leave Jareth..please..I need you, I've always needed you."

He stopped himself from pulling her lips to his, barely. "I know." He said simply, "I need you too."

"For what?"Sarah asked, surprised. She didn't think he needed anyone.

"To simply breathe, to live." He said back, his blue eyes searching her green ones.

"Jareth...I...I think..no I know..damn Sarah just say it...I love you, I always have. I tried to find someone, but they were never you." She paused, searching for the words. "I mean I really did try, you know? They just never made me feel anything but longing for you. Those brief hours made me feel things, I have never found anywhere since, and it was all you. I know now everything you did, was for me.

I always did know, once Toby was home and safe, and in the light of day, I knew all those things you said were true. Your face in those last minutes has always haunted me. Even as I have shoved it all back and tried to convince myself it was dream. Nothing I've ever done, no one I've even known gave me what I had in those too short hours, what you gave me. You made me strong."

Jareth's eye were alight, glowing with emotion and unshed tears as he listen to her confession, hearing the sadness she resigned herself to all these years, and her quiet resolve.

If only she has simply said his name much sooner, he could have kept her from it. Then again, these were experiences that made her who she was this very moment, that brought her to call for him. It might have been what had to happen, for her to see what she wanted, what she needed, was him.

Jareth reached out, and touched her face, for the first time, with his own hand, his glove disappeared."Oh, my Sarah, I do so love you too."


	2. Chapter 2

He reached both hands out then, pulling her to himself, and finally touched his lips to hers, his beautiful queen.

Sarah felt him against her, hard, and so warm. Her lips dancing against his, her mouth opening for him..his tongue slipping into her mouth, playing against her tongue, then sliding her tongue into his mouth, tasting him..he tasted slightly of mint, and felt..tingly, not just with desire, but something more, his warmth, permeating her body.

Her hands slid up his chest, pushing his white shirt open, feeling his hot skin, smoothness over steel. She moaned into his mouth, and felt her desire making her nipples hard against his chest, her more private parts becoming moist.

She pulled away, suddenly afraid.

"Jareth, I'm scared of what this all means, I've lived for so long, thinking you were just a figment of my imagination. Why couldn't you touch me before, I was thinking, back then, until this very moment, we never touched except in that dream...why?"

Jareth studied her face, her lush swollen lips, her flushed cheeks, her bright eyes. "My sweet girl, for us to touch is to begin something, once started, can never be broken...and my kind and your kind, that bond, especially, it is very strong. You would eventually go insane, here in the above. Resigned to living a half life, and because I love you, I would wither away, and eventually die, without you near me always, if the bond was too deep, but not fully formed."

"What are you Jareth? If I may ask?" Sarah queried.

Jareth was highly aroused and wanted to grab her and lay her on the bed and take her, be within her..but again, he would put aside his desire for this girl. She needed answers, he understood that. Besides, it would better if they waited, if she decided to come with him, until the were in his world.

"It is hard to answer exactly, we are many things." He answered, sitting on the edge of her bed and gently pulling her with him. Holding her small hands in his, he continued.

"We are called many things in the above. Fae, Angels, Demons, even Vampires, for some of us. Often we were called Gods. But we are none of these things, and all of them at once...suffice to say, we are an immortal race of magical beings who live on a parallel plane of existence to humans. Similar, in our physical forms, but more highly evolved, and much less prolific in breeding. Being immortal, we have much less need, and ability, to procreate. Which is where I come in. The children, they are very precious to us, and it is my task to bring them to our world to become one of us. My kingdom, my Labyrinth is a gateway, if you will, and I am it's Keeper. You should know I take no pleasure it...well not the taking of children part, I admit the game is..enjoyable at times."

He smiled then. "Especially when instead of the usual lots I must deal with, people who abuse and neglect their children, or poor souls who can no longer afford their little ones, or the little ones who are too sick to stay alive here, I find a beautiful, green eyed, woman-child, who defies me and makes me angry at every turn. Yet with every defiant word, makes me fall so very much in love I would move the very stars for her."

Sarah had listened to his every word, more and more in wonder as all of her questions that had surfaced over the years, were answered.

When he paused, she once again asked,"but, why me Jareth? I'm nothing special, not then, not now, I'm just a normal human female, not magic...not much of anything. I just did what I had to do, to save my brother, to bring him home. I know what you say is true, but, I guess it's just hard to accept that you, who could have anyone, would want me."

Jareth's eyes, grew a bit harder and stormy as she talked, a fire growing behind them. "Sarah, you ARE the most unique being I have ever known, girl! Not have magic? You have more magic within you than any immortal in my realm! Although I am one of the strongest, magically, in any world, you felled me with one look, with a few words, with your strong heart and your soul that burns as brightly as any star."

He grabbed her shoulders and yanked her closer. "You command me at your whim, and you say you are not magic? Magic is not simply making crystals, travelling between worlds, creating things out of thin air..magic, real magic, is here." His hand slid down, to cover her heart. "Now Sarah, now, that you have said you love me, I can live within you, and I know. Your magic is the power of love, and faith, and strength, and kindness..now I can feel it, see it. Yes, I could possess anyone for a minute, and hour, a day, to satisfy desire, and I have I will not lie. Don't you see, Sarah mine, that I do not want to possess you? I want to be next to you, within you, and you, within me. My equal."

Sarah did not know what to say, she simply gazed into his face...let it all sink in.

"But you could not tell me before?" She asked.

"The rules, Sarah." Jareth replied, tenderly touching her face. "They do not allow an immortal to declare their love for a mortal, until the mortal realizes her, or his, as the case may be, love first, and says it, out loud. It is our way of protecting ourselves from bonding with one who does not really want it, and saves the mortal from such suffering. The rule is there for good reason, my love. I have seen the result of such things, it is a tragedy I wished to avoid for both of us."

"How can I be with you, Jareth, I will die." Sarah wondered, contemplating how this could possibly be.

"Once we are fully bonded, you will become like me, because you will be my Queen and wife, and a Keeper of the Labyrinth as well." He said. "The Labyrinth itself will do this, for you."

Sarah's eyes widened considerably "You want me to marry you?"

Jareth grinned fully at his love, saying then, "of course, only you Sarah, only you have I ever wanted to share my kingdom with, because I know your heart. I know you are the perfect Goblin Queen, my most precious girl."

Sarah was blown away. In the course of a few hours, she had went to resigning herself that the one man she ever really wanted was just a fantasy, to having that man before her, telling her he wanted her to not only marry her but become a queen in another world!

"Jareth, I want to, I mean with all my heart and soul, I know I want to, but what about Toby? I have no one else, I admit, nothing here I really care to stay for, but him. He is my only tether to this life."

Jareth, understood this, he knew how passionately humans loved their kin, unlike most of his own kind. Even marriage was rarely entered into for love..more companionship, and for purposes of procreation. Immortals, among each other, could mate without fully bonding, they could shield themselves, somewhat, from each other. Most of the immortals never spent time with humans, but his connection to the human world gave him a glimpse at real love and passion.

"Once you are a Keeper, you may travel between, and visit your brother, on a limited basis. I warn you, you will always be as you are now, and he will not understand, at some point, why you are not aging, unless you begin to glamour yourself to appear older. It will be hard for you, watching him age, and die. In reality, you will be little more than a ghost to him, an imaginary friend no one else can see, as no one else will know of you here. It must be done, to protect both sides."

"Can he...come to live there? I mean at some point?" Sarah had to ask.

"Yes, as he has been there before he would be accepted. He would not be a Keeper, so he would have to stay there, gradually my world would make him a changeling. Not immortal, somewhere in between, unless he eventually bonded with another there." Jareth answered.

"He may not want to Sarah, his mother is here, his other family, his friends. You must be able to accept this, he, even given that choice may choose to live a mortal life, and with that, you will have to accept his loss long before it happens, because it will hurt."

Sarah though a minute. "I think I can, even though I will miss him, we have been apart mostly for several years, and though I adore him, I can let him go. As long as I know he has a good life, I can let him go." She felt tears slip down her face, she loved Toby, gave up everything for him once, but he has his own life to live now, one she gave back to him after almost losing it, she was pretty sure she didn't want to take it from him. "Maybe someday, I will come to him, and let him know. If he ever needs me, I will be there. I think I have to live my own life now. I want to go Jareth, I want to be there, with you. It's where I belong."

Jareth, stood then, pulling her up with him, glowing with love for this woman. "Then we will go, but first, I want to you look around. I want you to take anything with you that you may want, for once we leave, you will cease to exist here, and all of this will be gone as well."

"Should I pack my clothes?" She asked. "What do I need?"

"All clothes, shoes, necessities, even furniture, can be recreated there..but memories, pictures, those types of things that connect you to anyone and anything, you should take."

Sarah went to her closet, and picked up a bag, wondering what she should put in it. She went to her jewelry box, and took out her mother's locket with the picture of her parents and her, and placed it around her neck, then walked into her small living room, and grabbed her photo album and stuck it in the bag.

The Goblin King followed, silently, letting her do this on her own, knowing she had to say goodbye in her own way. He would create a quick enchantment for protection on the bag and it's contents before they left.

Walking over to her bookshelf, she gently picked up the glass musical jewelry box with the little broach in the shape of a star within it, her father gave her when she turned 16...tears coming to her eyes..she missed him, but he was gone..car accident, 3 years ago now. He always wanted her to find her happiness. Sometimes he had watched his daughter with sad eyes, his little girl drifting through life. He would be happy for her now, she thought.

She grabbed the small throw her grandmother had made for her when she was young, and a few more pictures sitting around.

Moving to the kitchen, she took a drawing Toby had made for her and sent last year, of all of them together like it used to be, it was really pretty awful, but so sweet, she couldn't bear to take it down off the fridge. She took it down now and gently folded it, sticking it in with the pictures. Looking around her small kitchen, there was nothing in here really, just the basics.

She realized how bare her existence here was. Now she knew why. She belonged in another world.

In the bathroom, there again, was little, just her toiletries and the like. She did grab a perfume bottle from Paris that Karen had given her, it was pretty, and although a bit superficial..it summed up their relationship. Looked pretty for others, but rather shallow. Still she did bring Toby into this world and for that Sarah did not want to forget her. She took 2 small towels and wrapped it, and the music box, so they didn't break. Silly perhaps, magic could probably fix anything, but still, just in case.

Making her way back to her bedroom, she knew he was behind her, letting her do what she needed to let go. She went to her vanity, and picked up her other music box(for a while she was obsessed with them), the one her mother gave her when she was 14, the dancing girl. The inspiration for her dream in the Labyrinth. She could not leave this behind.

Turning her head and looking at Jareth, he gave her a knowing smile, understanding the significance.

In the bottom drawer she had a memory box, with little mementos of concerts, plays, her prom corsage now dried, and Merlin's collar...another tear escaped..Merlin, probably the best friend she ever had, also long gone. A wreath of faded flowers, from her playacting in the park. She stuck all of it in her bag. Then she when to her nightstand and pulled the drawer open, removing her journals, her sketchbook, and one last picture from the stand, her mother..who died from cancer when she was 20.

Turning to the bed, she picked up Lancelot, the bear who started this journey. She had given him to Toby, but one night when she was crying into her pillow about some now forgotten boy, he had returned him, stating he was too old for a teddy bear, and she probably needed him more. He was right.

Lastly, she picked up the little red book from the floor.

Looking at Jareth, she mused, "You know I really don't remember how I came to have this."

The Goblin King smirked, saying "Those books have a way of finding who needs them, there aren't many."

"Who wrote it?" Sarah asked him.

"I did." He said, laughing lightly. It makes my job a bit easier if people know I *might* exist, wouldn't you say?"

Sarah asked, "But, what about..what no one knew?"

Jareth got a strange look on his face as he answered her. "I do not know, I didn't not write that, it is only in your book. I guess someone knows something even I do not then." He smiled widely. "Sometimes, my dear, even I am surprised."

Taking one last look around after sticking the bear and book in her bag, she sighed. "I'm certain that is all, the rest of this is just, things...wait what about music?"

"Music, Sarah? Jareth asked "We have music in the underground..any song you can think of can play for you at any time, even aboveground music, because music is a type of magic as well, and universal among all beings. It travels in the air, and anyone can listen..it's all there, all around us."

"Wow!" Sarah said." I never knew...I love music, and never knew that."

"Most don't care enough to know, love." He replied back, "Those that do, do not have the ability to tap into it in such a way." Those that create it, do, of a sort, but not fully. They are after all mortal, mostly."

"Mostly?" Sarah asked, curious at his words.

"The more creative types in your world often have a drop or two of our blood within them, in the distant past there was more contact between us, and of course, children were born of that contact. Those that grew up here remained human, but with added abilities..those bloodlines still exist."

Sarah didn't know what to say to this. "Did you ever..have contact?"

"I say again, I will not lie, I cannot lie, to you. Yes, many many hundreds of years ago, I had..contact with other humans, not in a very long time ago now. The experiences were shallow and unsatisfying, in the end, and caused such pain to the humans."

Jareth said. "I did not love them obviously as I am here, but when you live forever, and are mostly alone, surrounded by beings that are, lacking at times, in conversation and companionship. Things happen, Sarah. We all have moments of weakness. I am not proud of it." He reassured her with his next words. "I am certain I did not leave children behind of my blood, because I watched closely, and made sure I did not leave seed behind. As I got older, I realized my mistakes, and left humans alone in that way."

"You can do that?! I mean control your, um, seed?" She was shocked to hear this.

"Yes, it is an advantage of having such control over one's environment and physical body, to be able to truly make love for pleasure alone, if one chooses.' Jareth answered. "Some were not so careful or simply did not care about the mess the left behind, the humans dying young, longing for something they could not have, the children often orphaned. Occasionally one was lucky enough to be wished away to me, these halflings."

"What will happen once we are...bonded, Jareth? I mean I'm a pretty liberal person, but I don't think I would be happy if I had to share you with others if you get bored of me." Sarah asked him.

Jareth replied back, a softness in his eyes. " Once we are one, my dear, I will want no one else, only you, and I have not wanted another another since you left my kingdom. When I say we will be bonded, it means forever, and to even think of such a thing would almost impossible."

"Will it hurt?" She asked.

Jareth answered quickly, "No, it is an extremely pleasurable experience, so I am told, in more ways than one. It will occur the first time we...are together, fully. It does not occur often. I spoke with the last human to be fully transformed this way, he told me it is incredibly powerful, but not painful. It requires a spell and potent sex magic. I will not let anything harm you."

Sarah blushed at that. True she was no virgin, but this was Jareth, and she felt suddenly very shy, thinking about being with him, touching him, and him touching her and..other things. "Oh." she simply said, not knowing what else to say to that.

Outside the world was starting to awaken, dawn beginning. "Sarah, it is time, if you are ready, we must go...I am weaker in the sunlight, in the above."

Sarah turned around and looked, looked out the window...this is it, she thought. I'm leaving this world.

Jareth stepped towards her, and held out his now bare hand. "This direct contact gives me more power to transport us both, as it will begin the process of bonding."

Sarah placed her small hand in his larger, so very warm hand, and he grasped it tightly, and stepped to her and pulled her against himself wrapping his dark cape around them. He did the enchantment to protect her belongings.

"Close your eyes, Sarah, it is easier for you that way." He told her, his cheek laying upon the top of her head.

"Goodbye." Sarah said softly to her world, holding her bag to her chest, and closed her eyes, feeling the earth fall away, and she slipped away into the darkness, her not so imaginary king holding her tightly.

Behind her, something happened. within a matter a few seconds, all things that existed in Sarah's little walk up apartment, shimmered and disappeared, as if they never were. Some things appeared other places, as if they had always belonged to other people, and some things, just never existed.

Dawn broke, and the song of a little bluebird in it's nest, outside a little window where no one lived, rang out to greet the day.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3.

In the span of a breath, the spinning stopped. Sarah's feet touched ground beneath her feet.

"We are here Sarah," Jareth said quietly "You may open your eyes." Unwrapping his cape from around her, and stepping back.

Slowly, very slowly, she did just that. First one, then the other, and turned and gasped.

They were standing upon a balcony, looking out over the Labyrinth. holding her bag tightly to herself, she stepped forward towards the stone railing. A breeze gently blew her hair away from her face, as she took it all in.

Turning her head, she noticed Jareth had removed his cape, and was in a simple outfit of a white shirt, black leggings and his boots, his trademark necklace glinting in the waning sunlight. He wore no gloves. He looked very leonine, and watched her a bit like a lion sizing up his prey.

Now, now she was nervous, not scared, she knew with all her heart this beautiful man, would never hurt her, but the way her was looking at her, she half expected him to lick his lips, and jump on her and devour her...and he would, eventually.

Jareth stalked towards her, smirking a little at her shyness. "Why are you so quiet my love? I have never known you, then or now, to be at a loss for words."

She watched as he came closer, holding her breath, wondering what to say.

He stopped next to her, placing a hand upon her arm.

"Jareth, I'm sorry." She blurted out.

He puzzled at this, his eyes going a bit blank as he asked "Sorry, for what? If you are sorry of your choice, it is too late now."

"No!" She said a little too loudly, "I mean no that isn't it, I made the right choice, I just, I wish I would have waited, you know, for you."

Understanding dawned in his eyes. "Sarah, I will not say a part of me doesn't wish the same, as it is never easy to know the one you love was touched by another...but, I am as far from an innocent as one can be, and it would be a bit hypocritical for me to judge you on simply living your life, for looking for love and affection among your own kind. I already stated though, virginity is overrated, and among my kind it is barely thought of, most here have lovers by the age you were when you first came. You are pure of heart, and that is all that matters to me. It is good you experienced all that your world had to offer, it made your choice easier."

Jareth reached for her, and turning her, cupped her face in his hands, and looked into her eyes. "Never fear that I would judge you on anything you experienced as a human in the above, I always wished to know the passion of a brief mortal life, to have to fit so much in because time is so fleeting. Only after you came here when you were a girl, did I understand why mortal lives burn out so fast. We are lucky, we will have forever to feel this way, do you know how rare that is? Only once have I heard of such a thing happening here."

Tears flowed freely down Sarah's face, onto Jareth's hands, he brushed them away, even as more came. "Jareth, my Jareth, I really do love you, with everything I am."

With that she dropped her bag and threw her arms around him, and buried her face in his neck, sobbing, but in absolute joy.  
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her as tightly to himself as he could without crushing her.

Pulling back, she looked up at him, into his stormy eyes, and then softly placed her lips upon his.

He slid his hands down to clutch her waist, then down a little to the curve of her bottom, as the kisses deepened and their lips and tongues met with rising passion.

She pushed on his chest a little, pulling her lips away from his to say, with the raspy voice of desire, "Jareth, I think we should go inside."

Jareth replied, "Yes, yes I think we should." Then he bent down a little and swung Sarah into his arms, kissing her deeply again. his body already responding to her kiss.

He carried her through the opened balcony doors, and with a thought, her bag was on a chair, and the doors closed behind them, as the sun set upon the Labyrinth.

He laid her upon his bed, now their bed, and pulled back, even as she moaned in protest.

"Sarah," He started "I want you to be sure you a ready for this tonight, if you wish we can wait. Not long, but we can wait. A few days at most."

She gazed at her King with hooded eyes, and said, with a little smile, "I do not want to wait. I did not come here to wait. I do, however wish I was wearing something a little sexier than a nightshirt with cartoon characters on it." Then she giggled, and made the usually stoic Jareth grin like a fool.

"Your wish is my command, my dear." With a wave of his hand over her body, she was dressed in a silk gown of emerald green, her favorite color.

Sarah sat up a little, admiring his handiwork. "Ohhh, nice..how did you know I loved this color? Oh...and where is my underwear?"

Jareth, still grinning, said to her "I am very observant dearest, many of your aboveground clothes were this color...and as for your other question, I did not find it necessary to replace them too, as soon I will be ripping this gown off of your luscious body..why add more work than needed?" Then he wiggled his brows at her, with a smarmy look. "Your clothes are over there, on the chair with your bag."

With that Sarah laughed, and it relieved some of the nervousness she had been feeling. She reached up and wound her arms around his neck again, tugging him down to her, and met his lips with hers, feeling emboldened. "Kiss me, my imaginary king."  
So he did, he kissed her with everything he had, with all the passion he had stored up for these 12 years, waiting for her to call him.

Sarah slipped her hand down and started unbuttoning his shirt, touching his chest and stomach, feeling his warm, soft skin. She moved her mouth to his neck, suckling there, making him moan and shudder. Buttons undone she pushed the shirt open, then down his arms..he shrugged it off and threw it to the floor in haste, never breaking contact with her lips, her neck, wherever his lips and tongue could reach.

He leaned over her, pushing her down with his upper half, his lower half, still in a halfway sitting position, his hands at the sides of her head. He pushed his boots off, first one, then the other, Sarah her the thumps as they hit the floor. Then he lifted himself up and lay halfway upon her, one leg between hers..and she could feel his arousal against her abdomen. His hands running up and down the sides of her body. Caressing her with his fingertips, she felt zaps of energy where he touched her bare skin.  
He reached up to her shoulders, and pushed the straps of her dress down her arms, rolling it gently down her body, taking his time, kissing her chest as it was revealed to him. Then her breasts were bare to him, and he stopped, and looked upon her, admiring her delicate beauty.

"You are so very lovely, my precious Sarah, so soft, and taste so sweet. I will enjoy savoring you for eternity, learning of all your most sensitive spots, then when I am done, I will start all over again."

Sarah, was watching his face, as he held her in his gaze, and when he spoke. She was heady with longing for him, and she thought she would be shy, but was not. She was proud to be with him, that he found her desirable and could see by the way he looked at her, he meant every word.

He bent his head and took her nipple into his mouth, but watching her face, so he could see her reaction.

She gasped, and groaned, whispering his name over and over. It felt so very good, Jareth suckling her breast, biting it gently, then laving it with his tongue...oh my...she thought, feeling each suck, bite and lick go straight down between her legs and making her opening dripping wet with need. He switched and did the same for her other breast, bringing her to new heights of arousal. She had never been this close to climaxing without even having her lower half touched yet. Oh god, she thought, when we get to that point, I just might faint, him and his fucking magic tongue.

Jareth watched her arch, and moan beneath him, grinning inwardly to himself. Oh yes, my girl, you will be screaming my name many times tonight, and I am sure, I will be screaming yours. Your dreams will pale in comparison. More than anything he wanted to shred the silk and immediately thrust himself in her, but he knew it would best if she was completely sated and relaxed, the transformation would be quite intense, the more relaxed she was, the easier it would be for her to handle.  
Jareth, continued pushing down the lovely silk, until it sat low upon her hips, her bellybutton just above it. He pressed his lips to her belly, kissing and licking her pale skin, He could smell her need, just below, under the silk. It was like ambrosia to him. Her hands were in his hair, then running over his shoulders and back, as she cried out his name, he could not get enough, he would never get enough, of her.

He dragged himself back up and kissed her then, deeply and long, and pulled back, looking into her eyes, a little hazy with passion.

Looking up at him, she said in a husky voice "Jareth, you make feel...I have never felt like this before, you have quite a talented tongue."

He smirked down at her. "Why thank you, my love, it's magic."

"Yeah I thought so." she replied, smiling back.

"Would you prefer me to not use magic?" he asked, pretty sure what her answer would be.

"Jareth, whatever you are doing, do not EVER stop doing it, and if this is what an eternity of sex with you is going to be like, I'm all for it."

"I'm just getting started, love." He told her, his grin growing."I haven't even gotten to the best part yet."

Feeling sassy in her position, she quipped, "Well get to it, man."

Jareth, had to laugh, how he loved her fire. He bowed his head a little at her as he said, "As my Queen commands."

He sat up a little and slid back down her body, taking the gown in his hands, and ripped it down the middle, baring her lower half to him. He took a minute to take her in, her long legs, her full hips, her creamy thighs, the small vee of dark hair hiding her most precious treasure, already damp. He had heard women of the aboveground now removed their pubic hair completely, he was glad she did not, she was a woman, not a prepubescent girl, and he preferred her to look like one in every way.

She watched him look at her, a smidgeon of shyness seeping in through her boldness, because he was examining her so closely.

He looked up into her face, seeing insecurity in her green eyes, and said quietly, "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I can't stop looking at you. I want to memorize every inch, with first my eyes, then my mouth."

He looked like a god, there, shirtless, on his knees at her feet, breathing rapidly, his skin glowing in the moonlight, his hair a golden halo, his eyes blazing into hers with desire, his hands grasping green silk at her sides..she thought, it isn't a wonder why so many humans thought these beings to be gods.

He moved then, pushing her legs apart, and kneeling between them, letting go of the remains of the gown, and sliding his hand up her legs. Lifting one leg by her ankle, he kissed, licked and nibbled her foot, her ankle, her calf, the underside of her knee, then over, up her thigh, stopping just before he reached her center. Her scent making him lightheaded. Then reaching back again, he gave the other leg the same loving attention. He then laid down on his stomach, chest pushed up a little and laid his head upon her belly, kissing and licking the soft skin there.

"I can hardly wait until you are full and round with our child, my Sarah, right here, this cradle of life. What children we will create. You will be even more beautiful, as hard as that is for me to imagine at this moment." Jareth told her, barely above a whisper.

She felt tears welling up at his words, but did not want to cry at this moment. A child. Jareth's child.

What a thought, it boggled her mind to think of it.

"Jareth, tonight, I um.. do you plan on, preventing that, or are you just going, to you know.. I mean..I wouldn't mind if we didn't wait, if you would like, I love kids, and it would be yours, so I would only love it more."

He looked at his love with all the joy in the universe showing in his eyes. "How I would love that, my beloved, but whether I prevent it or not, there are never any guarantees conception would be immediate..that works the same way here as in the above."

She replied quietly, "Jareth, don't try to stop it, whatever happens happens okay?"

His eyes glistened with tears, as he said " I will not stand in the way of our destiny...if a child is created tonight, it will be."

He pushed himself up and kissed her gently on the lips as if to seal the pact, then went back to his previous position.

He slowly made his way down her abdomen, his tongue sliding down just to the top of her pubic hair, and paused, looking up into Sarah's eyes, he pressed his lips to her folds, tasting her damp desire.

Sarah jerked up and gasped as he slid his tongue between her labia and caressed her sweet little bud with it. circling, then sucking, letting the flow of magic increase a little, tasting her sweet fluids.

Sarah was on fire, he was driving her up a cliff with his mouth so fast, she thought she would explode. She had never had anyone make her feel this heated, this wet. The few mortal men she was with faded away to nothing, eclipsed by Jareth, her immortal king from another world who was right now making wave after wave of wanton heat shoot through her body like electric shocks.

He slid his tongue further and slipped into her opening, licking the sides of her, her juices flowing onto his tongue. He went back up and sucked on her clit some more, sliding a finger inside her, then two, pressing up to stimulate the sensitive spot on her inner wall. She tasted like the sweetest fruit, ripe, and laden with juice. He could not stop tasting her.

She was grinding her hips now, into him, hanging on for dear life, moaning his name over and over, clutching the blankets, eyes wide, nearing her orgasm.. Her body covered in a sheen of sweat,

He knew she was close, and doubled his efforts, curling his arms under her hips and then over, hand on her thighs, keeping her legs apart, as she was squeezing then against his head, holding him there, where she needed him to be.

Then she fell over the cliff, crying his name, her climax coming in waves, and he, her beloved Jareth, holding on to her, riding it out with her, giving her this sweet release.

Slowly she relaxed, eyes closed, her heart pounding in her ears, gasping for breath. Her hands in his soft hair.

"That was,...that was..oh my..Jareth, you have a gift, I must say, that was the most intense thing I've ever felt, you are truly a king in every way."

He smiled up at her, his lips and chin damp with her climax. looking into her eyes. " My pleasure." He growled, enjoying her words.

"Uh..no that was MY pleasure, but yours will be..coming..soon." She said mischievously. Winking at him.

She reached down and pulled him up to her, kissing him repeatedly and thoroughly, she could taste her release on his tongue, and it reignited her arousal. She noticed he still had his black leggings on, but could definitely feel how very hard and ready he was for her.

She wrapped her legs around him and using a little leverage, was able to flip him onto his back, her sitting astride, her center damp upon his stomach.

"Well then, my love, you seem to have me conquered and at your mercy again..whatever will you do with me?" He asked playfully.

She grinned at him, then tapped her finger on her lips. "Hmm..well, I don't know, what does one do with a king after you have conquered him? I think I should thoroughly pillage you, wear you out completely, then steal all your lovely baubles, the spoils of war, and all that." She looked around the room for the first time.

"Wow, pretty nice crib you have here Jareth. Understated, yet kingly."

Jareth was shaking with laughter, life with his Sarah would never be boring, her playfulness was infectious. He also noticed his shaking was making her naked breasts bounce in a very enticing way..mmm. He reached down and held her hips, feeling his pants becoming even more uncomfortable.

"Well Sarah, for one thing, this is our..crib(crib? he thought to himself)..and all my baubles you are more than welcome to. Just please leave me my armor, cape, gloves, and boots, I'm rather fond of them."

"Maybe..if you are very very good, although, you and your magic tongue have scored major points with me already." She said, leaning down and placing a kiss upon his lips. "Plus, I must admit, the only baubles I'm interested in right now are these." As she slid her hand down behind her, stroking him though his leggings. "Now, Your Majesty, I would really really like to get these off of you and get a look at what you haven't been hiding in those tight pants of yours all these years."

Jareth eyes rolled back and he sighed as she touched him, thrusting himself into her hand.

"Do what you will, my love. my baubles are yours to explore." He laid back then, putting his hands behind his head, looking truly at peace, and more like a lion than ever. She wondered if he could turn into one of those, too.

Sarah moved off of him, and tugged at the the waist of his pants, pulling them down to expose the flat plane of his stomach. She bent down and kissed him there, as he did her. Licking upward, she circled his nipples, and biting them gently, his back arched, making him growl and..purr? Hmm...interesting she thought, I like that. She moved up a little more, and nibbled on his neck, enjoying his unique, spicy taste. His energy crackled against her tongue. She kissed his chin, then his lips, but barely, before giving him her version of his smirk, and trailing her tongue back down again.

She moved down and let her tongue travel over the curve of his hipbone, over his abdomen, dipping onto his bellybutton and continuing to the other side. Then back to center, licking down the fine trail of hair leading underneath his leggings to his..baubles. She grinned at her own description of him. She sat up, admiring him. He is so fucking beautiful, she thought, how could such a being even exist? How could he be all hers? It truly was a miracle...and for this miracle I truly say, thank you and Amen, to whatever powers that be that are out there.

She reached up and and pulled his leggings down, his hips rising to help ease them off. She pulled them down his long long legs and threw them off the bed, finally, looking at him in his glory. Oh my goodness! Sarah thought as got to let her eyes wander up his legs and up to...even there, he was beautiful. His shaft was long, and thick, and perfectly shaped, especially now, fully aroused. She had seen a few naked men in her life, but they were made to look like less than nothing now.  
Sarah straddled his legs at his knees, and took him in her hand. Stroking him softly, in wonder.

"Jareth, now I understand why you wore those tight pants with such bravado!" She exclaimed.

Jareth, meanwhile, had been floating on a cloud the whole time she had been exploring, loving every touch of her hand and lips,, letting her get to know his body without interference. Watching her silently with eyes flaring, but remaining passive to her. It was important she felt completely safe with him, especially while she was still human. When she was like him, she could protect herself, but right now, in his world she was incredibly fragile. She did not know or understand the true strength that lay within him, that in reality he could..but he would never hurt her. She would know soon enough, when she had it too, what was possible.

"Well, one must flaunt it, if one has it." Twisting the above saying a bit, which made her giggle.

His hips undulated a little, as she stroked him with a bit more vigor. Then she bent down and kissed the tip, licking, and tasted a bit of his fluid. Savoring the taste, it was spicy, like his skin, but a bit sweet too.

Her mouth upon him made him moan, speaking in a tongue she did not understand, but her name was in there too, so she figured it must be good. She sucked him into her mouth, then hummed a bit, which made him jump and moan louder. She then decided to just really go for it, and make him feel they way he made her feel earlier. she pleasured him with her mouth, sucking and licking his cock like an ice cream cone, then going further down to gently caress his sack with her lips and tongue.

His hips were moving even more, and he grasped her head, and combed his fingers through her hair, reveling in the pleasure her mouth, Sarah's mouth was giving him. Women of his kind usually did not enjoy this act, he thought, they may perform it, but with nowhere near the enthusiasm of his Sarah.

Then he felt it.. "Sarah, Sarah, you must stop, I am about to..oh yes..my love.." He hissed through gritted teeth, trying to hold back, but it felt so good, and it had been so long.

She paused in her ministrations, and looked at him."I don't mind Jareth, I really don't, I want to taste you, like you tasted me." With that, she continued on, driving him mad with desire.

In another moment of her actions, he cried out, and poured himself into her mouth, and she drank him in, his very essence, and he repeated her name over and over, like a prayer.

She crawled up his body, and laid full upon him, and rested there for a minute. Enjoying his skin fully against her for the first time. He put his arms around her and sighed deeply. Her legs were on either side of his waist, so he was pressed against her folds, still hard, but relaxed against her.

His kind did not need much down time to be rejuvenated, but he wanted her to take a few minutes. Soon she would need all her strength. What he did not realize, and she would not know, that already taking his immortal seed within her, gave her added strength.

Turning them onto their sides to face each other, he pulled back a bit a looked at her, her green eyes, still and calm, with a sweet smile on her face.

"You, my dear girl, are very gifted in your own right." He told her, a lazy smirk developing across his mouth. He stroked her hip and belly lightly with one hand as he spoke, the other hand caressing her cheek, and travelling over her face, her lips, into her hair.

"Mmm thank you, Your Majesty, I enjoyed it very much, myself." She replied, smiling back.

He pulled her too him, and kissed her full lips, and let the kiss deepen, letting both their passions rise.

He rolled her then, so she was again underneath him, now pressing himself completely against her, making her gasp against his mouth at his hardness rubbing against her labia.

He reached down and stroked her bud, igniting her inner fire, Then slid two fingers in and out of her, arousing her further, being a little more aggressive, so she would be ready for him.

"Oh god Jareth, I want you now, I need to feel you inside, please.." she begged him, her need apparent.

He looked down at her, she was so beautiful, her lips red and swollen, flushed cheeks, eyes bright as they met his.

"Sarah, I want you to understand what will be happening now, you will need to hang on to me, and trust me, you will be fine, but the release you felt earlier, well, what will happen now, it will tenfold, maybe a hundredfold, of that. When it is done, you and I will be fully bonded, and you will be a part of this world forever. You will feel a separate energy from mine as well, as the Labyrinth will sense your change and send it's magic and light into you, to guide you into immortality. Do NOT be afraid, I will never let you go." He said firmly, making sure she heard and accepted his promise.

She gulped a little, a bit of fear creeping in despite his words. She trusted this man though, he brought her here, he made her feel amazing and loved and safe, so she believed him completely.

He parted her legs, and slipped between them, placing himself at her opening, barely pushing in.

He took her arms and placed them around his shoulders, and said "Remember, hang on as tightly as you can, I will be right here with you, even if at some point you cannot feel me, let yourself believe with all your heart I am right with you." He looked into her eyes, and she nodded. "I love you Sarah, also with everything that I am."

"I love you too, Jareth." She said, and closed her eyes, waiting for the ground to again fall away.

He slid into her then, pushing himself in to the hilt. He groaned at the sensation of her muscles tightening around him, already trying to milk him dry. He looked down at her face as he entered her, watched her gasp, and moan his name.  
He began to move, thrusting, then circling with his hips, hitting that spot inside her that made her cry out to him.

Sarah, her eyes squeezed shut, was seeing lights explode behind her eyelids, it was more than just him inside her, although that was amazing, she felt the beginning of what he was talking about, her body starting to tingle, first her toes and fingertips then traveling down her arms and legs, like pins and needles but not painful, a feeling so intensely pleasurable it was hard to even describe what it was she was feeling.

Jareth was groaning and speaking again in a language unknown to her, it sounded like an...incantation..maybe it was, she wasn't sure, all she knew was the tingling was intensifying, feeling like something was trying reach inside her and pull her soul out...but she could still feel him. Jareth, on top of her, holding her tightly to him, moving inside her, His face buried in her neck. Speaking in that rhythmic tone. She put everything into focusing on him, only him.

Jareth was trying to say the spell as it should be said, every second it was getting harder and harder to concentrate his energy, but he HAD to. For her, this was for her. He shook it off, and focused his will. Another few lines, and it will be done, then he can concentrate on her, and let go and be in the moment.

Sarah was burning up, she felt so hot, she must have been sweating profusely, she could not really tell. She felt like she was going numb from the intense heat, and she knew what Jareth had been talking about, if was hard to feel him there. She made herself concentrate, and kept saying to herself, "Jareth is with me, Jareth is holding me, he will not let me go, I believe, I believe." She no longer heard the rhythmic chant, but he was growling and groaning in her ear, saying her name.

The spell was done, and Jareth was glad of it, now he could lose control, and be fully with her.

He grabbed her hips, and thrust as hard as he could without injuring her delicate parts. The sooner she came, the better. He focused his energy and went inside her, in search of hers.

Between the heat, and the feeling like she was being electrified, all Sarah could do was hang on to him. She felt something else then, a cool sensation, trying to sooth her heated body and spirit, that must be the Labyrinth's energy she thought, trying to focus. Feeling it helping her pushing her up, and up.

"Don't fight it Sarah, let go, follow me, my love, follow me." She heard in her ear.

Like a hand in the darkness, she felt his energy take hold of hers, and pull. She felt the cool energy from behind pushing her.  
Then she screamed and leapt into his arms...and they went over the edge together.

Jareth felt her lurch against him, and felt her energy connect to his fully, just as his release hit, and felt her insides tighten and clamp around him, and she was climaxing too, and he gasped with the feeling of it. He could feel her release as clearly as his own, his eyes widened and he cried out with her. He could feel the cool light of the Labyrinth receding, and he silently thanked it, knowing it heard him, feeling it's joy at it's new queen's presence.

Sarah slowly came back to herself, eyes opening, feeling her blood rushing around, her breath heavy and raspy. She looked up, and looked into his eyes, and felt him. Not just his body, but almost like she could read his mind, but not quite. She stilled and explored this feeling. She felt the love pouring from him, and realized she had no idea the extent of it, before. She started to cry, and hugged him to her, and said over and over,"I love you, I love you, I love you.."

He held her, and was a bit confused, he felt her joy, but there was sadness there too, and this he was not quite understanding.

"Sarah, I know, my love, are you alright? I love you too, why are you crying?"

She opened her eyes and pulled away, looking at him through her tears. " I didn't know...you were alone so long, and all these years, you waited for me..what if I never called? I didn't know Jareth, how much you, you loved me all this time...feeling it now, is a bit overwhelming."

He sat up a little, pulling her up with him, and placed his hands upon her shoulders. Looking at her in the face, making her meet his eyes. "Sarah, you must not dwell on that, we are together now, and for always. If you let yourself fall into the trap of "what if.." you will drown in sorrow. As an immortal, you must let all of that go now, and be happy.

She nodded, then paused..."Wait, it's done, I'm like you now?"

"Yes, it is done." he said, letting a full blown grin of pure joy cross his features. "You are here and we are now fully bonded..what you feel is my emotions, I will teach you, how to dampen them with your magic, so we don't overwhelm each other." "We can save that for when we are intimate..it's not necessary in our day to day life to know each other's every feeling. I will first need to teach you how to protect yourself, and then how to move through worlds and place to place here as well."

" I do feel...different, like I'm electric..is that magic?" She asked him.

"It hasn't settled quite yet, it will take a couple of days, but yes that is what that feeling would be...you get used to it."

"The chanting, was that a spell?" she asked.

"That would be the bonding spell, I will say I am glad I only had to use it once." He replied, sounding relieved, and tired.

"Hey Jareth..." he looked at her, raising his eyebrow, what for her to finish. "We are still naked here."

He laughed then, her comment breaking the seriousness of all that had just happened. Still his Sarah, immortal or not, which is good He would not want her any other way.

"So we are." He said "What would like to do about that? Would you like some clothes?"

"Not right now, particularly. I think it should be a castle policy, the King and Queen must be naked at all times in their own bedroom., and unless the goblins want to be traumatized for life, they are not allowed in here."

"Sounds good to me Precious, I can agree to that, I think you are rather fetching naked."

"You are not so bad yourself, Your Majesty." She said back, winking at him.

"Oh my girl, what am I going to do with you." Jareth said as he put his arms around his Queen.

"I can think of alot of things." she told him, letting him pull her into his arms.

"Well, right now my wife, I think a good rest is in order, for both of us. We will have a busy time starting tomorrow, you must get to know your subjects, who, I warn you will be very...enthusiastic at your return. You are a hero to them you know, a legend here. They are also quite likely to craft your likeness out of cheese..they did that for me once. There was a rumor it was my birthday."

Jareth laid down, and laid her next to him. She snuggled against him, her head upon his chest..she was also snickering at the idea of a statue of him made out of cheese..it kind of fit, in a weird way.

She would never tell him that. Maybe it was the hair.

"She shimmied up a bit and kissed him, and asked "How old are you anyway?"

He opened one eye and looked at her, then closed it again. "Old." he said. "Very old..and I am tired, and need my rest. My young wife will wear me out one of these days, and take my baubles."

"I love you Goblin King," she grinned at him, "I think I like your baubles where they are."

He opened his eyes then. "I love you Sarah..now rest, I'm sure any and all questions can be answered tomorrow. Sleep well."  
"Sweet dreams!" she said back and he laughed a little at her irony.

"Indeed." he said, as they both closed their eyes and fell into a deep, much needed sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Sarah awoke slowly, she could tell it was well past midday. Looking around she noticed immediately she was alone.

Sitting up, she noticed a chair placed close to the bed, a green silk dressing gown draped over it, and a folded piece of paper laying upon it. She reached over and picked up the paper, opening it, and read the note Jareth had left for her.

_My dear wife, I regret not being there to see you open your eyes this first morning of our life together, but I am afraid I had to attend to some minor mischief my subjects caused during_  
the night. Such is the life of a king, I suppose. I decided that pehaps a day of rest is in order for you, as the transformation can be quite taxing.  
We will wait until tomorrow to introduce you to your subjects and my beginning to teach you all you need to know as a Queen in my world, and as A Keeper.  
What is mine, is now yours, feel free to explore our chambers at your leisure, my love.  
The bath is located behind the darker oak door at the left of the door to the hall.  
Ring the little silver bell sitting upon the table in the sitting room, an attendant from the kitchens will appear and bring you food and drink, if I do not return in time to join you.  
Please though, wear the robe, at least as long as the attendant is present, you naughty girl.  
I also took the liberty of creating you a few pieces of clothing I left in the wardrobe, across from the bed, next to the balcony doors. Nothing fancy as I'm sure you will prefer to create your own clothing, but a few simple day dresses and undergarments to keep you from traumatizing your subjects in your altogether when you venture outside our chambers.  
Your husband and humble servant,  
Jareth  
P.S. You look stunning in the early morning light. Nude and wrapped only in your hair like a goddess. I must admit tearing myself away was terribly difficult, to say the least. I would have ravished you awake if not for the goblins' propensity for ale and setting things on fire.

Sarah smiled as she read it. She knew that as King of the Goblins, he was very busy. She did wish he could have spent this first day with her, but she needed to get used to the fact, that he was needed here by everyone and she would have to learn to share her days, but the nights were for her alone, she would make sure to tell him that. Besides most days she would most likely have her own duties as Queen.

"Holy crap!" She said to herself out loud. "I'm a Queen?" Realization dawning. Who would have ever imagined that? Well, she did, many times, but not ever thinking it was even possible. Or real. She tended to take things in stride, so she knew she would do what she needed to do and what Jareth needed her to do as well.

She got up out of the huge silk and fur laden bed, and slipped into the robe he left for her. Making her way through the next room, then into the bath.

She was amazed, the room was celestial in nature, with blues, and gold and silvers. A huge blue marble tub at one end, sunk into the floor. The other facilities were hidden behind a cabinet door, with a pull chain for disposal. Good to know we all have the same basic needs, she thought, makes it a little less intimidating. The ceiling above the bathtub, she noticed, looked like a sea of stars. How wonderful will this be to soak in after a long day of..whatever she will be doing.

Turning she noticed a full length, incredibly ornate mirror in the corner. Approaching it, she looked at herself with wonder. While she looked like herself, she was altogether different too. Her eyes were brighter, her skin glowed and shimmered, her hair much longer and so thick and shiny and much wavier. No dark circles under her eyes from fatigue anymore. She took her robe off to see her full self. Her breasts, which were always pretty good, even seemed perkier, any little flaws she had worried over in her world seemed minimized or gone altogether. Her brows upswept slightly now, giving her an exotic look.

"What on earth? Wait are we on earth?" She said in wonder. After examining herself a little more, she started to feel a bit silly doing it. She had never been vain, why should she start now?

She turned from the mirror, picked up the robe and draped it over a chair by the vanity table. She noticed little bottles of lotions and potions for personal upkeep. Picking up a bottle and opening it, she found it a woodsy, masculine scent...definitely his.

"Alrighty, time to figure out this swimming pool of a tub." She found the spout and turned on the water, it was wonderfully warm already, ohhh, she thought, a warm bath would be delicious.

She added a small amount of what seemed to be bath salts of some sort, which also made bubbles.

As soon as the tub was full, she got in and found the water to be perfect and scented of an exotic fruity scent, she sat back relaxed and closed her eyes, completely at peace...and dozed off.

As she was sleeping, she did not hear the door quietly open, or a certain King make his way to the side of the tub to observe her there. He smirked his familiar smirk, enjoying the view of the lovely woman lounging in his, now their, tub. He noticed she used his favorite scent, a rare underground fruit that he enjoyed very much.

He took off his tunic, boots and leggings and slid into the other end of the bath, picking up Sarah's legs and setting them over his, softly caressing them.

"Did I invite you into my bath, Your Majesty?" Sarah asked, she had awoken as he had got in, but had not opened her eyes.

"I'm sorry my Queen, I simply could not resist. I had to run right out and assess the damage my subjects managed to create but having a flaming chicken catapulting contest."

Her eyes popped open. "Oh my..was anyone hurt?"

"No, no one, not even the chickens.. much to my dismay. The goblins managed to set everything on fire BUT the chickens. Blasted nuisances those creatures are. A couple of hovels were damaged though, and I had to get the repair work started."  
Sarah started giggling, which led to full blown laughter. Flaming chicken catapult contests? She thought. Eesh. Poor Jareth. I have a feeling this path I've set myself upon is going to be a rather chaotic one.

Jareth watched her laugh, and started chuckling himself. He supposed it was rather funny, from the point of view of someone who didn't have to deal with it all the time. Well that would soon change wouldn't it?

"Are you enjoying your day, my love?" He asked Sarah, moving his hands up and down her legs, becoming a little aroused looking at her knowing all the wonders the bubbles concealed.

Sarah opened her eyes and looked at him through her lashes, seeing his sexy little smirk growing a bit, and knew he was rather enjoying himself.

"Yes, Jareth, though it hasn't been a very long one so far. I almost thought, when I woke up, I would be in my bed back in my apartment, that this was a dream I had, and that I had slipped into some weird psychosis. Then I opened my eyes, and hey...still here! Guess I'm not so crazy after all."

Jareth chuckled again at this and replied "well, I don't know about that, whether your sanity lies with the idea that you are here or not. We are all a bit crazy here. When you are awoken from your slumber to referee goblins fighting over if it was the chickens or the catapult that should have been on fire, and who caused damage to whose house by throwing poultry at it, you tend to slip into insanity on occasion."

"Good point Your Majesty." Sarah said, laughing again.

He moved then, turning around and sitting beside Sarah, lifting her forward to put an arm behind her, then laying her upon his chest and shoulder.

"Good day, my lovely wife." Tilting her face towards him and kissing her for the first time since they fell asleep the night before. How he loved the sound of that.

"About that." Sarah started "Aren't we supposed to have a ceremony or something? I mean I don't need anything fancy, but it might be nice to have something small."

Ahhh..of course Jareth thought, why did he not think of that? Of course she would want something more in line with her heritage.

"Well, here, if you are fully bonded as we now are, we are married in the eyes of the underground. It isn't necessary, but it can be done if you would like. A little something just for us, before your coronation ceremony. I wouldn't mind at all, especially if I am making you happy."

"I would love that Jareth, thank you..wait, coronation ceremony? I know what that is, but I thought after last night...I mean you said it was done."

"It is, love, but in our world, becoming a sovereign is much more formal than personal relationships, so it is expected to have a formal ceremony to introduce you into society. You are now of our world, one of our kind, they expect you to make appearances and be among them on occasion, most especially the other royalty."

Sarah felt a little anxious at this idea. She knew she had to do it, just jump in with both feet, but it was a little unsettling to think about learning how to socialize among Jareth's people.

"I wonder if they will like me." She said mostly to herself, but to him too. She wanted him to be proud to have her at his side, didn't want to do anything to make them think less of him.

Jareth, sensing her anxiety through their bond, knew what she was thinking.

"My dear, they will adore you, and I am honored to have you as my wife and Queen so never fear that you will disappoint me. I must tell you, there are a few people who have certain prejudices, as it is with all societies even aboveground as you well know, but we will pay them no mind."

She felt his soothing energy reaching out to her in comfort, and relaxed into him.

""Well if they don't like that I was born human, too freaking bad, I'm here, I'm with you, and I am not going anywhere..they can suck it up and choke on it."

Jareth chuckled at her candor, she was going to be quite interesting to observe among the other immortals. The younger generations will love her, most so intrigued by aboveground life. He was somewhere in the middle, generation wise, but his experience with humans gave him an affection for their ways.

"Jareth?" She suddenly asked, breaking his train of thought. "I looked at myself in the mirror and, well, what happened?"

"You are the same in spirit, but your molecular structure has been fundamentally altered Sarah, by the influx of magic you now carry. It has strengthened you, and enhanced your physical attributes. Quite nicely I might add. You were already perfect to me of course, but now you are resplendent. It is simply your magic making your inner beauty visible to all of us to admire. You will get stronger magically over time, it may take even a few months, maybe a year in aboveground time to reach your full strength, but you are already very strong, I can feel it. You will most likely match my power within short order."

Sarah sat up to a kneeling position, then straddled Jareth...very naked Jareth, she could feel.

She pressed herself against him and gave him a little wiggle or two, and grinned at him. "Speaking of power my husband, maybe you could give me a little example of your power again."

Jareth instantly hardened against her, and looked into her eyes and gave her a sexy little look, eyebrows raised.

"You are a naughty little vixen aren't you, precious...wanton and oh so wet and willing."

She kissed him, and rubbed her breasts against his chest, winding her arms around his neck and pressing her center against his hardening length. "Well, we are newlyweds, and newlyweds tend to get busy a lot. In all sorts of ways too." An idea forming in her mind.

Jareth began nibbling on her neck, and brought his hand up to rub her breasts and roll her nipples between his fingers, making her sigh with need of him.

Their lips met again, in kisses of deepening passion. He slid his hand down and grabbed her behind, pressing against her, as she ground herself against him, making him crazy with desire for her.

"Jareth..oh god Jareth, she gasped. "I can't wait anymore now..later we can do more exploring, but I want you inside me now."

"Whatever you want love, whatever you want, just..oh my Sarah.." He breathed into her neck, not wanting to wait anymore either.

She reluctantly removed herself from him, and bent herself over the side and wiggled her bottom at him. "I want you inside me like this, from behind..is that okay?"

He leered at her with a feral look on his face, his eyes nearly black, watching her entice him. "Okay? My love, it is a spectacular idea." He thanked his lucky stars his wife was such a little minx.

He got up and placed himself behind her, running his hands down her soft back, and slipped his hand underneath, cupping her, rubbing her clit, and folds, then slipping a finger into her, feeling she was already soaked with her fluids.

He bent over her, growling in her ear. "Are you ready my dearest?"

Sarah was frantic with desire, "Oh please yes.." She gasped out, getting frustrated.

He grabbed her hip with one hand to steady her, and with the other, took hold of his cock and slid it in her tight opening...pushing in until he could not go any further.

Sarah melted into the cool marble, he completely filled her, it was exactly what she always needed, and never received, until him..they fit like hand in glove, perfectly, made for each other.

He started to move slowly at first, then faster, and harder, pistoning himself like a machine. He bent over her again, licking her back, moving her wet hair and biting her neck, then sucking her skin, tasting her salty sweat.

They were both groaning loudly, saying each others' names. She reached back and grabbed his arm, looking over her shoulder at him, his face completely animalistic now, as he reveled in her heat. He was pounding her into the side of the tub, her back arching, her hard nipples rubbing against the tile.

Then he slipped his hand under her a toyed with her bud, and she screamed as she came undone beneath him.  
Jareth felt her inner walls tighten even more, and heard her screams, knowing she was climaxing around him, beneath him. He let himself go, and released with her, fulling opening his emotions to her, and hers to him, so they could experience each other's pleasure as well. His seed pouring into her as he spasmed and moaned her name in her ear.

Sarah, had no idea what was happening, her climaxing doubling in power, not only feeling her muscles grasping him, but feeling his release within her from his point of view, it was unbelievably erotic and intense, so much she felt a second, smaller climax shudder through her body.

Finally, they were spent, and Jareth slid out of her and laid down next to her, then took hold of her and drew them both back into the water. Breathing heavily and hearts racing.

Laying against her husband Sarah said finally "Holy crap Jareth...that was soo...wow, you know, I don't know how to describe that. When I asked for power, you gave me power."

"That was the bond, Sarah, that is what it does. I opened both the ways so you could get the feel of it."

"Well I am duly impressed with this bond." Sarah replied, her face laying on his shoulder. "I hope we do that a lot. Now I was thinking we get scrubbed up and maybe get some lunch..or dinner..what time is it anyway? Anyway I am starving."

Jareth opened his eyes and looked down at her. " Mid afternoon, 2:47 to be exact. I agree, I have not eaten yet either, and you keep distracting me."

She smiled then, then kissed him softly. Sitting up, she reached over and grabbed some soap, saying "Okay Your Majesty, you scrub my back, I'll scrub yours."

After they had bathed, both Goblin King and Queen dressed in their robes and still a little damp, went into the sitting room.

Jareth rang the bell, and a small white haired elf, the first being she had seen besides Jareth since she arrived, appeared.

"Yes, My Lord." He bowed to his king..then noticing Sarah, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Lady Sarah, welcome back!"  
"Ardele," Jareth addressed to the elf, seeing the creature's expression. He knew it was coming. "We would like a nice hearty meal, my new wife and Queen is quite hungry."

Ardele being magic himself, sensed the bond immediately upon looking for it, and bowed low. "My Lady, I am your humble servant. What do you desire to eat?"

Sarah smiled the sweetest smile, saying to the elf "Why thank you..Ardele is it? You are so cute and sweet!" She reached out and took his hands in hers urging him to meet her eyes. He was shocked at her touching him, very few immortals would do such a thing as touch a lower species, or want one to look them in the face so boldly. "My Lady, I..I..you are beautiful!"

Sarah blushed then, smiling wider. " Thank you Ardele, your words are most appreciated. I am not too picky, anything will do."

Ardele about fainted at this. He would certainly have a tale to tell about the new Queen, she was entirely different than any other immortal Royal lady he had ever seen.

Jareth watched the exchange, his eyes dancing with mirth. He knew they would fall completely in love with her immediately. "Ardele, just bring us some of your delicious vegetable stew, bread, and fruit, and water."

Turning back to the king, Ardele bowed again. "Yes Your Majesty, right away." Then he disappeared.

He turned to Sarah then. "So did you examine your clothes I left?"

"Not yet, but I will. I'm hoping there is underwear this time?"

He raised his brow at her. "Of course, I wouldn't want your dress to fly up and make your new subjects comatose."

She laughed very hard at this, what a visual.

"I'll check them out tomorrow, I am thinking unless someone decides to catapult more poultry or set the castle on fire, we will be staying in this evening and exploring this bond thing further." She wiggled her brows at him this time.

"Sounds like a wonderful evening to me." He grinned at her.

Ardele appeared then, with another elf in tow, holding two trays of food. Sarah's stomach growled in anticipation, she hadn't eaten a bite since her fast food burger yesterday afternoon aboveground.

"Oh thank you Ardele!" She exclaimed as he set her tray in front of her.

He gaped at her again. "It's is my duty and pleasure to serve you, My Queen."

The other elf, who had green hair, set a tray in front of Jareth. "Thank you Lyndele." He said.

He turned to Sarah and said. "They are brothers, orphans of this world. I found them while I was traveling, and brought them here to train as chefs. Elves are very good cooks."

She looked at them both. "You are both just adorable, I'm sure this food is scrumptious. Thank you."

They bowed to first her, then back to the king, and took their leave. Before they disappeared completely, both Jareth and Sarah heard Ardele whisper, "See told you! Our kingdom has been blessed."

Jareth smiled at his wife, who looked a little embarrassed at their compliments.

"Yes, we are blessed, all of us, and no one more than I." He told her.

Sarah, blushed again. "Can we eat now Your Majesty? I'm about to faint from hunger here."

He laughed watching her turn red. "I agree. Let us eat, I am famished myself."

So they did, talking and joking, both content to just be with each other, as the afternoon faded into early evening.

Then they spent the night exploring each other, and the pleasure their bond could give them, falling asleep late, thoroughly sated, among the furs and silks on their bed.


	5. Chapter 5

Early the next morning, Jareth awoke to the pale light of the sun creeping in. He knew this would be a big day for Sarah. He had sent word to all denizens of the Kingdom to come to Castle Square at noon, to meet their new Goblin Queen.

Of course, a certain group of citizens were to be honored guests. It would make her happy. The gardener Hoggle got on his nerves, with his stumbling about and his cowardly ways, but he would not refuse her. At least Didymus was always a good sort, fairly smart and well behaved. The rock caller Ludo was harmless when not calling rocks, and not all that bright, but fiercely loyal to Sarah. She would need as many allies as possible in this world, and it was their tales of their Champion that made her a legend here.

Watching her sleep, he hesitated in waking her. She was so peaceful and lovely. However, they had to get up and moving so she had a bit of time to prepare.

He shook her gently. "Sarah, Sarah my love, you must awaken."

Sarah wiggled around and grumbled, snuggling closer into his side. Jareth sighed, trying again.

"Goblin Queen, it's time to wake up my girl, we have a busy day."

One green eye slowly opened and looked at him, a little smile appearing on her lips.

"You should know, NOT a morning person here." She said sleepily.

"Well, you will have to learn to be, the Queen has many duties in the morning."

"Crap." Sarah said, her voice still a bit raspy from sleep.

She sat up, yawned and stretched, and looked over at Jareth with a frown.

"I really hope you have coffee here, Your Majesty, otherwise it's going to be a loong day for both of us."

He hesitated to mention such substances would have no effect on her here, then decided not to for now. If having coffee helped her feel more awake, even if it was an illusion left over from her humanity, so be it.

"Of course, we do not grow or process it but it can be created for you through magic, by me."

Jareth produced a small crystal, then concentrated until a steaming cup of coffee appeared in his hands. "Voila, coffee!"

Sarah practically salivated. "Ohhh thanks!...gimme!" She took the cup and took a much needed drink of the bitter liquid. "Hey not bad Jareth, you could be a barista in my world." She grinned at him, as he inwardly shook his head watching her drink the coffee. "Eventually you will be able to make your own if you choose." He told her.

Changing the subject she asked "So what is on the agenda for today?"

"First." Jareth replied "We need to get bathed and dressed...no distracting me either you vixen..then go over a few small details you will need to know before we go to the square and you are presented to your subjects."

"Sounds intimidating." She said, shuddering a little. You can do this Sarah, she thought, no fear.

Jareth rose up out of bed and walked across to the vanity next to her new wardrobe, opened a drawer, and brought out a velvet box.

Walking back to the bed, still naked, he sat next to her and handed her the box. "You will need this."

Sarah sat down her coffee on the nightstand and took the box and opened it.

Inside was a necklace, the twin of Jareth's but smaller and more delicate. She touched it gently then looked up at Jareth.

"It's beautiful Jareth." She removed her locket and sat it on the stand next to the coffee.

He took it out of the box, and signaled her to turn so he could place it around her neck.

"It is the symbol of your station, it signifies you are A Keeper, and my Queen and wife."

"When do you create this? Sarah asked.

"It was created for you by The Labyrinth, after we were bonded and you were transformed."

She was amazed at this. "Really? Can I talk to The Labyrinth too?"

Jareth smirked at her. "Yes, once you learn to do it. It may choose to reach out to you before you get the chance. It is rather enamored of you already, it has been since you left the first time. In all likelihood even before that. It senses when anyone is reading the book, so it knew of you before I did."

She had a thought formulate in her mind, at his answer. "The Labyrinth changed the book, for me..and for you. It was playing matchmaker!"

Jareth got a thoughtful look on his. "That is quite possible. Why I never thought of it, I do not know. It is a trickster by nature, and it's consciousness dwells in both worlds. I wonder why it would do this."

"It knew you were lonely Jareth. It knew I was too, if it was sensing me after I had the book. After Toby was born I was terribly lonely and angry, felt like I was being shoved aside. I don't know what it was thinking about the age I was, but that has to be it." Sarah decided.

"I would think it did not realize that in your world you were still considered a child, as technically you were of age to bear children. Until very recently in human history, 15 year old girls were often wives and mothers. Age aside, it must be commended for it's taste." He replied, his smirk growing.

Sarah asked him "How old is The Labyrinth anyway?

"I do not know, Sarah, ancient before I was born. no one really knows. Once a king leaves the throne for whatever reason, it calls to another to serve. I was called."

"You have not always been The Goblin King?" She was surprised, she hadn't considered that at all.

He paused for a moment. "No, I was quite young for my kind, but a full adult, when the last Goblin King was killed."

"What?! How?!" She asked. "I thought you were all immortal?"

"There are ways we can die, Sarah, unfortunately. Iron and poisons mostly. We can also choose to cross over. Barring any perfidy committed by another, tragic accident, or simply becoming tired of our very long life, we remain."

Sarah moved to embrace him, suddenly afraid. "Be careful, please Jareth, I just found you again, I couldn't bear it if you..you.." Tears formed and fell, landing on Jareth's shoulder.

Jareth held her tightly for a moment then pulled away and wipes the tears from her face.

"My love, I am not going anywhere, and if we ever make that choice we will cross together, I swear it. I am very careful to stay away from anything that would do me in. You must believe we will be together always. If the time does come, though, you must always be strong. If I am gone and you remain, this kingdom will need you. This is one reason why I, and apparently The Labyrinth, chose you. You have an inner strength that could move mountains."

"If that happens" She said "I want you to know I could never be with anyone else."

Jareth cupped her face. "My dear, I do know, but you must promise me you would not stay alone for all your days. I would want you to find someone to make you happy again. When you are immortal, loneliness is not a fleeting thing."

"I can't promise that, I just can't." She said. She was a bit upset at herself for becoming so emotional these past few days. She was usually able to handle anything without letting it get to her so deeply that she would cry so much.

Jareth sighed, pulling her close again. "I understand you cannot think of it at this time, but I want you to know these things." He did not want to think about it either now. He had just gotten her back. The thought of losing her squeezed his heart with fear, but he shielded this from her.

Sarah sniffed back her tears, and looked up into his eyes and tried to smile.

Watching her gather her emotions together, he felt so very proud. He felt her emotions, but he knew she could handle anything that came along. This was one of the reasons why he fell so much in love with her in the first place. She would let nothing get in the way of doing what needed to be done.

"Alright! Now! No more tears this day! This is supposed to be a grand day for you my love, meeting your subjects and taking your place at my side." He declared in his firm "Goblin King" voice.

He stood up and smiled down at Sarah, offering his hand. "Let us prepare for this momentous occasion."

She took his hand and smiled back as she stood up, feeling her resolve take hold. "We are wearing clothes right?"

He lifted his brow as he looked her up and down, enjoying the view. "You know, for one who has been nude for two days, you are quite obsessed with clothing."

She snorted loudly. "Your Majesty, I've seen your wardrobe, you are one to talk."

"I must always look my best, love. King and all that." He teased back.

She laughed, all the worries and fears she had been thinking about faded to the back of her mind for now. As she crossed the room to where the side by side wardrobes were with Jareth holding her hand. Their matching pendants sparkling in the light.

"Why don't we use magic for dressing, Jareth?" She wondered.

Jareth replied "It is best if we do not use our magic for everything Sarah. Mundane activities like dressing and bathing do not need magic, unless we are in a hurry, or there is an emergency."

Sarah thought on this. "Good point, no need to get lazy, right?"

Jareth said nothing and smirked, continuing to his wardrobe. He loved the way her mind worked.

When she opened the wardrobe, she saw several lovely dresses in a myriad of colors, blue, green, red, silver and gold. Lace, velvet, satin and silk, with a couple of cotton dresses thrown in. Jareth had excellent taste, she said to herself. She also noticed the bag from aboveground sitting on the bottom, underneath the dresses, where he must have placed it for safekeeping. She really needed to figure out where she wanted to place those few pieces of her old life. She opened the bag, and picked up the box from her father, taking out the small diamond star shaped broach.

"Would it be alright if I wore this on my dress, for luck?" She asked her husband who had been retrieving clothing from his wardrobe nearby, and had stopped to watch her.

Jareth smiled softly at her, knowing she needed all the courage she could get. "Of course, love. It will be stunning."

Picking out a dress of sapphire blue silk, with Jareth choosing black leggings and jacket with a blue silk shirt to match her dress, along with his black boots and gloves, they laid the clothes out and went to bathe.

Once that was done, they dressed. Jareth helped Sarah into her dress, lacing up the back for her, then using a bit of magic to help her put her hair up with diamond and sapphire pins to set off the dress. Then he playfully had her sit while he placed the matching shoes upon her feet. Sarah giggled, enjoying this little reenactment of Cinderella.

She pinned the broach on the dress, not needing any more jewelry than her necklace and the broach. Her hair was full of glittering gemstones as it was. Jareth had also added a little makeup to the spell when he enchanted her hair, enhancing her green eyes and brows that now arched gracefully upward. Not as severely as his, but still noticeably up from her previous brow line.

Then, finally they crossed the room, and he opened the door. She took a deep breath, and stepped out into the hallway, and into her new life.

On the way, he pointed out to her the different rooms, the dining hall, the library, the music room, his study, the solar. He opened the door to the room that would be her study once she decided how to decorate it.

He also instructed her of what she might say when greeting her subjects, and how she might compose herself. He didn't want her to change who she was, and most of the time it wouldn't matter all that much here in the castle. For all her playfulness, he knew she was well mannered and not one to be inappropriate in public. For certain formal occasions there was a set protocol to follow, and he wanted to make sure she knew what was expected.

Then Jareth stopped next to a large oak door. "First my dear, I would like you to greet some of my subjects privately. These are very special subjects with a unique place in my kingdom, and they are most anxious to make your acquaintance. I had them escorted to this private sitting room to meet with you."

Sarah started to feel a bit nervous. Special subjects? she thought. Oh my. I hope I don't embarrass Jareth. OH well..here goes! Let's go feet!

He opened the door and guided her to go ahead of him.

She went in and thought her eyes were deceiving her for a moment.

"SAWAH!" She heard, her heart bursting with joy as she looked upon her dear friends that she had missed so much.

Ludo again said "SAWAH! FRIEND!"

"My Lady!" Sir Didymus cried, hopping back and forth. Ambrosious wagging his tail and watching, tongue lolling about.

"Yer Majesties." Hoggle grumbled, his hat in his hands, his head bowed.

Sarah's squeaked a little with happiness, then she ran and grabbed all of them up in big hugs, so happy to see their faces, except Ludo who grabbed her up and squished her to himself with great enthusiasm.

Stepping back she looked at Ambrosious, and could not help thinking how much he looked like Merlin, funny she never noticed before.

After she hugged them all, she noticed Hoggle seemed not all that happy to see her.

"Hoggle?" She asked"what's wrong?"

Hoggle glanced up at her, then bowed his head again. "Well, Yer Queen now, I knows how that is. Why would ye want to be my friend now? You have..him." He gestured towards Jareth.

"You will always be my friend, Hoggle." She told him firmly, hugging him again.

Sarah looked back at Jareth, encouraging him to confirm her words with a knowing look.

The Goblin King sighed. "Hoghead, if I did not want my wife to remain friends with you, would I have had  
you come here? Not that it would matter anyway, Sarah has her own mind, she can be friends with whomever she wishes." The dwarf really was frustrating, he thought to himself.

"Really Yer Majesty? Yous mean I can comes here and visits her anytime?" Hoggle said, ignoring the fact his sovereign said his name wrong, again, and probably on purpose.

"Yes, of course." Jareth told him. "In fact, I have a mind to create a Queen's Garden for my dear wife, and would like you to be in charge of it's upkeep."

Hoggle's mouth dropped open. The king must be in a very good mood these days, to promote him like that. "Yes Yer Majesty!"

Jareth rolled his eyes to himself. "Sarah, I will leave you to visit with your friends for one hour, then we must go and be ready for your introduction. I will also have breakfast sent here for all of you. You need to eat. I will dine with a few of my staff in the dining hall today. We have a few things to discuss."

Sarah walked over to him, and hugged him to her, whispering in his ear. "Thank you, my love, for this. It means the world to me."

Jareth hugged her back briefly, placed a small kiss on her nose and lips, and backed away, once again the formal Goblin King.

"Yes, well. I must not dawdle any longer. Good day gentle creatures, Sarah, remember I will return in one hour. Enjoy your visit."

Sarah and her dear friends spent the next hour talking, eating and laughing. Talking about their time together 12 years before, and what has happened to them since. She enjoyed having them all there and petting sweet Ambrosious who reminded her so much of her dear old friend.

Too soon the hour was up, and she walked her friends out the door of the sitting room, with many hugs and promises that they would all visit again soon. She watched them walk down the hall and around the corner, chatting among each other, with a smile on her face.

She heard Jareth's familiar footfalls behind her, felt his presence coming closer, and turned to smile at her new husband.  
"Thank you again, Your Majesty, for bringing them to me. It felt wonderful to see them again, to know they didn't hate me."

Jareth gave her an odd look. "Why would they hate you Sarah? They have always loved you."

"They never answered after that first night, I thought they forgot me or were mad at me, or that...maybe you had punished them, for helping me." She replied in a soft voice.

"I suppose that is an understandable assumption." Jareth started. "No, I did not punish them. They served their purpose, making sure all in my kingdom knew of you and thought well of you. I am sorry the Ways had to be closed after the first night precious.. I had to do it, for all of our protection. I explained this to them at the time, but could not tell you unless you said my name, which you never did until two days ago."

Sarah understood all too well. "I wish I would have known that is all it would have taken, I really do."

Jareth stepped to her and put his arms around her, sensing her distress. "Sarah, I told you before I believe in your heart you did know, that if you called me I would have came. You were not ready. Please do not dwell on these thoughts. You are here now, with all of us. You need to stopping letting yourself become upset. I know this is an emotional time for you, but it worries me that you keep hanging on to grief and worrying about what is past."

Sarah sighed against him, and back away. "You are right, Jareth, I know. I just have to get used to all of this. I think I did know, but was afraid you wouldn't come anyway, and tried to convince myself you weren't real because of it."

Jareth, tilted her face until her face met his, and smiled into her eyes. "Well my dear, I'm afraid I am."

She smiled back. "Yeah I noticed how incredibly real you are many times now." She winked at him.

He wiggled his arched brows at her. "Now enough of that. I told you not to distract me with your womanly wiles."

Sarah pushed her face up and planted a small kiss upon him. "Oh alright I'll try to behave myself, for now. So now what?"

Jareth paused for a moment, able to sense the time with his magic. "It's nearly noon my love, let us be off. You subjects await you. It would not do for us to be tardy." He held out his arm and Sarah slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow.

As they entered the throne room, 6 taller goblins were waiting, standing at attention, with swords at the ready. They were very different than any goblins she had ever seen, Tall and lean, and she could tell they were much less childlike than their smaller brethren.

Sarah's eye widened, and she gave a questioning look to Jareth.

"Your royal guards, Queen Sarah, they will escort you when you leave the castle." He informed her.

"Guards? Is there danger?" She asked.

Jareth sent her soothing energy. "Not especially, but you are a queen, Sarah, you need to be protected. It is done with all royals. These are warrior goblins, trained to fight and kill for their rulers. They are the smallest caste of the goblin race. They are excellent at what they do. They will be 100% loyal to you alone, and protect you with their lives. The underground is peaceful most of the time, but there are those who hold malice against all royalty, and there are those that may not like that you are a human born queen. Not here in our kingdom, as you are The Champion and quite legendary here, but we will not always be here in these lands."

Sarah felt a bit unsettled at this revelation. "Oh." was all she could say.

Jareth guided her to the front of the line of guards, and they all fell to one knee and bowed to her. Saying in unison as they were trained. "We swear our fealty and our lives to you, Your Majesty the Lady Sarah, The Champion of the Labyrinth, The Goblin Queen, wife of Jareth The Goblin King, and Keeper of the Labyrinth and the Ways."

Sarah was amazed. She knew all she was here all her titles she was given, but never heard it recited back to here in such a way before. It sounds so..Royal! She thought.

Sarah said to them. "Please, stand."

They did so immediately.

"Thank you, all of you, for your service, I promise the respect is mutual." She said to them, and walked down the row taking each of their hands and smiling to them, learning their faces.

They all knew then, they would be loyal to her their entire lives, they could feel her kind energy, and good heart as she reached out to them. Their king truly chose a fine queen indeed.

Jareth then said. "Let us go to the square all. Grindle, Teagus, Feran, you will walk in front of us, elbow to elbow. The rest behind. In the same formation."

In unison again they said "Yes, Your Majesty."

They made their way to the doors, where two goblins were waiting at each door, ready to throw them open.  
Sarah closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then two, and reach out through the bond and felt Jareth there. He was calm, which calmed her.

"Open the doors." Jareth commanded.

So they did.

A roar went up so loud Sarah was startled, and almost jumped back, but Jareth kept a tight hold on her and whispered. "It is fine, Sarah, these are your people now. Be calm, you are safe."

As they made their way down the steps, she saw over the heads of the guards, a sea of beings, short and tall, waving their arms and screaming. Thousands and thousands of goblins, elves, dwarves, a many she did not know of. She saw the bright hues of the fireys of the forest, and the little buzzing fairies. The Wiseman and his bird hat were near the front. She could also see Hoggle, Sir Didymus on Ambrosious, and Ludo close to the front as well. Sarah wondered if the worm was there, with his missus. That made her smile, thinking of the first creature she met inside the great maze all those years ago. Maybe she would have tea with them sometime. She also saw a few more of Jareth's kind, which surprised her..she had never seen another like him before.

Jareth held his hand up, and the roar slowly died down to a murmur.

"Citizens of the Goblin Kingdom, I present to you, The Champion of the Labyrinth, Keeper of the Labyrinth and the Ways, my beloved wife, and your new Queen, Queen Sarah! Forever may she reign!"

The roar came again, louder than before. Tears came to Sarah's eyes , she could feel all the love these beings had for her, and she felt humbled by their faith in her.

Jareth took a step back, and bowed to Sarah, kissing her hand then sweeping his other hand out, presenting her to his subjects. Then he put his hand up again, to quiet the crowd.

He whispered to Sarah. "You must speak now, love. They are waiting."

"Wh..what do I say?" She asked, trembling and turning to him slightly.

Jareth looked her in the eyes. "Speak from your heart."

She cleared her throat, thinking on this. After a moment, she turned to the crowd.

"Thank you. Thank you all for coming here, and..for believing in me and giving me such a warm welcome. I promise I will give my all to being a good queen to you. I swear to you all I would give my life to protect you, and your King. This is my home now, and you are my people. I would never want to be anywhere else. I am proud and humbled to be your Queen.

She smiled then, as the roar came back a third time, the loudest one yet. She found her friends and smiled at them specifically, giving them a little nod so they would know she saw them there.

Jareth stepped forward again and took her arm.

"Beautiful precious, just perfect." He said to her, proud and smiling.

Turning to the crowd, he hushed them one last time.

"Thank you all for coming here today. There is a feast prepared for you all in the Public Gardens, please have a grand time celebrating this day, the day our Lady Sarah, our Champion, became our Queen!"

He turned them around , and following the same formation, they walked back up the steps into the castle, as the crowd continued to cheer.

Not all eyes watching were wishing for a long reign for this girl. In fact one pair of eyes, observing the introduction of the mortal born queen, was hoping her reign would be quite short, indeed.


	6. Chapter 6

A few days passed, Sarah and Jareth were enjoying a time of peace and quiet, giving the couple a chance to spend time together, getting to know each other.

They spent most days with Jareth teaching Sarah how to use her power, and Sarah learning her duties as Goblin Queen, and most nights ensconced in their chambers enjoying their private time.

In her daily duties, she was to take charge of the running of the castle, and any domestic issues that rose among her subjects. She came to regard the goblins with fondness, but they were like a large brood of small children to look after.

She was blessed with the arrival an immortal assistant and attendant, Sherryana, a distant cousin of Jareth's. Sherryana was a petite blond with lovely blue eyes, very sweet and smart, who arrived about a week after Sarah had been announced.

Jareth had sent a query to his family about sending a young immortal female so his wife would have a companion and someone to help her adjust, and Sherryana, anxious to meet her new cousin The Goblin Queen happily volunteered to come. Jareth had remembered her as a sweet child who loved to read much like his new wife, so he accepted.

Sarah was grateful to have another female of comparable age to answer all the little questions she still had about her new life.

They two ladies got along immediately, and set to the task of getting the Queen's Study in order. She would also have a private study, but first her public offices had to be finished.

They had a brief handfasting ceremony, attended but the denizens of their kingdom, where Jareth gifted Sarah with a lovely emerald ring, in tradition of her aboveground heritage. She knew they were already married, but this made her *feel* truly married.

During the ceremony she wished Toby could be there. She thought of him often in quiet moments. Jareth knew when she got that wistful look in her eyes, her brother was in in her thoughts. She did not regret her decision, but he knew she could not help but miss the boy.

Jareth watched his new wife blossom and grow into her place with a quiet pride and contentment. She was most definitely his equal.

The kingdom was thriving under the firm hand of The Goblin King, tempered with the gentle touch of his Goblin Queen.

About 2 weeks after Sarah arrived, she was having lunch with her husband when she noticed he was very quiet, usually there was playful banter and lots of smiles, laughter and affectionate touches.

"Your Majesty, what's going on in that wild haired head of yours today?" She joked, curious but not wanting to pry.

Jareth was silent for another moment. "I received word from the Immortal Council, we are to appear in Talystra, the Capital City of the Underground, for your official coronation in 3 days."

"Well that is..soon, isn't it?" She asked.

"Yes it is, but not an uncommon occurrence. Council is always busy, and they send word when one's turn comes. It will be our turn in 3 days to appear."

"I see. Are your worried I won't be ready?"She asked him. She didn't like he seemed a bit upset. They knew it was coming eventually.

"No, my love, it is not you that worries me. It is how others will behave there. As I told you, a certain faction have prejudices against those who are changed ones, and I'm afraid they will be especially unhappy about a changed one as a queen. Specifically the most powerful kingdom here. I am not well liked among other immortals Sarah. I did not want you to know, I guess, or think ill of me. My power makes me a target of much jealousy. I was hoping we could pay them no mind, but in reality, I know they will be difficult to ignore even if they have no say who I chose as my queen. I just don't want to see you hurt but their unkindness."

Sarah observed her beloved's distress with compassion. She had lived a life very similar above. With few friends and always considered a bit of a geek. It was never easy to deal with rejection.

"Jareth, why wouldn't you want me to know? My sweet man, you must not worry that you need to hide anything from me. You asked me to accept that you did not judge me for my past, I ask the same. Accept that I do not judge you. Besides, I've never been much of a joiner. I have no desire to be part of some immortal quilting circle. I like it here, with you, and the goblins. I couldn't care less if there are those that don't like me, or are going to look down on me. They are petty and childish and jealous."

She reached across the table and grasped his hand, sending reassurance though their connection. She had never seen Jareth anything but completely sure of himself, so this was very disturbing for her. He gave her a little smile

"I just never want you to see me as weak, love." He said to her.

Sarah gave a loud bark of laughter. "You? Weak? I don't think so Your Majesty. The only way insecurities make you weak is if you let them keep you from doing what you need to do or pursuing your happiness. You have never let anything keep you from being a good king and pursuing your heart's desire. I'm here aren't I?" She grinned at him.

He could not help getting caught up in her enthusiasm. "You are wise, my Queen."

"So, husband, let's do this. What do I have to know?" she asked him, trying to keep her worries quiet in her head.

The next 3 days were a flurry of activity. Jareth and Sherryana both going over with Sarah what she would need to know for her first appearance in immortal society, and her vows for the ceremony. They would be traveling by magic to just outside the city, then taken in by carriage.

They would also be meet with Jareth's family, which made Sarah more worried than anything else. Jareth told her that by nature immortals tended to not be emotionally close with their families once children grew up and went out to live their own lives. However, blood ties were fundamentally important within their society as it pertained to one's standing and placement in it.

Jareth had made sure all the arrangements for 2 nights of accommodations and sent their belongs ahead of time. The council hall had adjacent quarters for royal guests, and their staff. so all was arranged quite quickly.

The Goblin King and Queen, their guards. Jareth's assistant Caolin, and Sherryana, gathered at the time of their departure in the throne room, and with some final instructions to the castle staff, the party vanished from the roomand reappeared at the city gates of the walled city of Talystra.

Sarah was agog, for the walls, unlike the Goblin Castle and city, were not brown stone, but gleaming white and gold.

"Oh my..Jareth it's beautiful!" She exclaimed.

"I know my precious, it is. Too bad we could not come to simply enjoy the scenery. I am hoping I will at least be able to take you on a walk through the magnificent gardens. They are the most extensive and beautiful in the underground." Jareth replied, trying to speak in hushed tones while awaiting the city guards' arrival with their carriages.  
Suddenly the great gold gates opened, and 2 carriages appeared, pulled some sort or large golden dragon like beings. The Chief Guard approached the party, and bowed low.

"Welcome Your Majesties, and honored guests from the Goblin City, The council is expecting you. Please enter the carriages and remain until you are brought to the doors of Great Hall. To the left is the entrance to the royal suites."

Sarah and Jareth were guided to their carriage, then Sherryana, and Caolin were guided to theirs. The Royal Guards were expected to march beside them.

Sarah enjoyed the short ride, watching all the richly dressed immortals, eyes wide as they went past the open market filled with treasures from all over the underground, and so many creatures she had never seen before.

Jareth smiled, watching her face as she saw it all for the first time. He loved seeing the childlike wonder in her eyes, so incredibly rare here. "Sarah, you are glowing, my love."

She looked back at her husband next to her, smiling and laughing. Feeling spontaneous, she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. "Thank you my beloved. This is totally amazing."

He hugged her back briefly, then reluctantly removed her arms, getting an odd look from his wife. "My Queen, I would love nothing more than snuggle with you all day, but there are certain things that are expected here. Even in the carriage we can be seen, and open displays of affection, beyond brief touches of hands and contact during dancing, are quite frowned upon here. I do not run my kingdom so strictly, but we want to avoid bringing more negative attention to ourselves than necessary in this place. I just want you to realize, though I may not be able to openly show it here, I adore you. When we retire to our quarters I will be more than happy to show you, but until then..I apologize if I seem a bit aloof while here."

Sarah frowned a little. She was informed of this by both Jareth, and Sherryana, that the hugs and kisses she so enjoyed at Goblin Castle would not be allowed here unless they were in their own quarters, but it was going to be hard to get used to.

"I understand Your Majesty, I got carried away." She nodded her head in understanding.

Jareth took her hand in his. "Understood, beloved. I do not think it was noticed, but we are coming into the Council Square in a moment, so we must put on our most calm and reserved faces."

She turned to watch as the carriage entered the square, lined with flowered trees, and filled with people waiting their arrival. All of the underground wanted to get a look at The Goblin Queen, mortal born as she was. They shied away from the goblin guards, as most immortals were not fond of goblins in any form.

Jareth winked and smirked at Sarah, then in a blink was the fearsome Goblin King in his glory.

The carriage stopped in front of the hall, and the Chief Guard opened the door of the carriage. Jareth stepped out and turned, offering his hand to Sarah. Sarah demurely stepped out of the carriage and bowed to her husband as she was instructed to do, playing the reserved Goblin Queen. Jareth took her arm and escorted her through the crowd of openly gaping immortals. Sherryana and Caolin followed, with the guards flanking them.

They were guided to their suites but the the Chief Guard, who spoke to the king on the way.

"Your Majesty, you have a set of Royal suites for yourself and Her Majesty on the second floor, with adjacent rooms prepared for your assistants. The guards will be quartered on the first floor."

Jareth stopped and turned to the Chief Guard, towering over him."My guards will remain with us, on the second floor. I will not have my wife without reliable protection when I am not with her."

The Chief Guard trembled a little, as Jareth glowered at him. "My Lord, I understand, but they are goblins and..."

Jareth stopped him with a gloved hand. "I am well aware they are goblins. Do it. Now. I expect proper quarters for them near us, as soon as my wife is settled in our suite. Don't defy me. The Council will understand why The Goblin Queen needs her royal guards nearby."

"Yes Your Majesty, it will be done." The Guard said, bowing at both Sarah and Jareth, then showed them to their rooms. As soon as all were shown their assigned rooms, he bowed at them once more, then took his leave to make sure The Goblin King's orders were followed.

Sarah was loved the rooms they were given, similar to their rooms at the Goblin castle, a bedroom ,sitting room, bath, and dressing area, all done in shades of purple. On the right was Sherryana's rooms, and the left was Caolin in his. Their trunks were already unpacked by the servants who worked there, done after the belongings were sent ahead.

When they were alone, Jareth took his wife in his arms. "You were magnificent my love."

Sarah sighed in his embrace, just grateful to relax a bit. "What time is the ceremony?"

"This afternoon at 3pm. It won't take long, then we will change and attend the formal coronation dinner at 6, and dancing afterwards"

He pulled back, looking into her eyes. "You are doing fine, it will be a celebration, and we can dance." He smiled, knowing where her mind went.

"We haven't danced since we met in that dream." She said. "I would love to dance with you again."

He nodded in agreement. "I am looking forward to it precious. Now, servants will bringing some food shortly for brunch. I want you to eat something, then rest. I noticed you did not eat earlier. I will have Sherryana wake you at 1pm to dress and prepare. My family will be at the coronation, dinner and ball. They keep private quarters on the 4th floor. I am going now to see if they have arrived. I will assign two guards at the door."

"I promise I will try Jareth." She replied. She was a bit hungry, and certainly tired. She hardly slept the night before.

Jareth made his way to the 4th floor, finding his parents and sisters and the two oldest sisters' husbands also eating. He walked over to his parents Jastiel and Illiana and greeted them, kissing his mother on the cheek.

"Good day Father, Mother. turning to his younger sisters and their mates he said "Jolena and Ivan, Justinia and Vernon, good to see you all, and my dear Jewel."

He gave his youngest sister, still in her teen years, a genuine smile.

They all nodded at Jareth, with Jewel, who was very fond of her oldest sibling, jumping up and embracing her brother.

Illiana scolded her. "Jewel, please, don't be so tiresome."

"Mother, it's been so long since I've seen Jareth!" turning to him she then said. "Jareth, when can I come and visit you? I hate my lessons, I want to come and live with you in your kingdom!"

Jareth could not help smiling at his youngest sisters' antics. She was much like him, unfortunately for her parents and other sisters. She was a surprise child, all her siblings much older. Wild, passionate, so different from most other immortals. She would be handful to whatever immortal dilettante his parents pushed her off on. Their goal seemed to be find the most boring males possible to marry their daughters off to. He grimaced inwardly at the thought of them meeting his precious wife.

"Jewel, my dear sister, you are welcome anytime our dear parents will let you come. The goblins miss their ringleader." He smiled at her, remembering how she loved to gather them up and play tricks on others.

"May I go back with them Father?" she asked turning to Jastiel.

"I think not, not at this time. After all your brother was just married. They need this time to adjust without chasing after you." Jastiel replied.

Illiana cleared her throat. "Yes, Jareth, where is your new wife? Is she too frail to be able to meet us now?"

"No mother, she did not sleep well, so I bade her to rest before the ceremony." Jareth told her.

"I see." She said, frowning. "That's reminds me, Elspeth is attending today. You remember dear, the high born Elf Kingdom Princess you were to be betrothed to, thanks to me, until you found that... human girl?"

Jareth sighed. It was going to be a long 2 days. "Yes, Mother." he said with a pained look. "I remember her. You will also remember I greatly disliked the girl, and her twin brother Elsian who insisted on chaperoning us everywhere, and refused to betroth myself to her after 3 days in her rather unpleasant presence."

Jastiel gave his son a stern look. "Your mother was simply trying to find you a mate appropriate for your station. How were we to know you would go off chasing some mortal girl who managed to beat you at your own game?"

Jareth faced his parents then, enraged, but managed to stay calm. "This is why I did not want Sarah to meet you before the ceremony. I know you are required to witness as is tradition, but remember, I AM a King, and not just any king, in this world, but The Goblin King, Keeper of the Ways. Family or not, I will not tolerate insolence or rudeness in the presence of my chosen queen. Not only my choice, but The Labyrinth's choice as well. As for Elspeth and her horrid brother, I do not care who they are, or whether or not they are here. This is about The Goblin Kingdom, myself, and my fully bonded WIFE, and The Goblin Queen." He emphasized the word wife, to remind them of their place, and hers, in his life.

His parents didn't even have the decency to look ashamed of their remarks. This was the mentality of some immortals Jareth had warned Sarah about. more concerned with appearances than the happiness of their only son.

They seemed to forget it was his calling to be The Goblin King that had risen their stations almost to the level of the Council itself.

His sisters, except Jewel had the same looks as their parents. Jewel was on the verge of tears, wishing her parents and sisters understood and could see the obvious love Jareth had for this girl.

"I must get back to her now, I am done with this." Jareth told them all. "I will see you all at the ceremony."

Jewel stopped him as he was leaving, say softly. "I am sorry my brother, I am happy you found love. I cannot wait to meet her."

Jareth touched her cheek. "I know sister. Again, you are welcome at any time in my kingdom."

With that he was gone, making his way back to Sarah. He found her laying upon the bed sleeping soundly and took off his boots, laid next to her and kissed her forehead, glad he was not burdened with a nasty piece of work like Elspeth for a mate. The thought made him shudder.

He let himself relax and drifted into daydreams, his arm around his beloved Sarah.

At 1pm on the dot, a gentle knock sounded through the rooms. "Your Majesty, Goblin Queen, it is Sheryana."

Jareth came back to himself and shook Sarah."it's time to get up my love, Sherryana is here to help you dress."

Sarah opened her eyes and yawned and stretched. "How is your family?"

Jareth sighed. "Frustrating. Now I am going to Caolin's rooms to dress so Sherryana may be here to help you. It would not be proper for me to stay of course."

"Wait." Sarah said. She reached out and pressed herself to him, kissing him thoroughly. "I just wanted to tell you I love you, while we are still alone, before I'm not allowed to."

He kissed her back, savoring her taste. "I promise I will let you ravish me completely tonight when we get back here, love."

She grinned at him. "It's a date Your Majesty."

Her assistant knocked again, louder. "Your Majesty?"

Sarah took a deep breath and got up. "I'm coming Sherryana!"

Jareth got up as well, picked up his boots and took his leave into Caolin's rooms.

The ceremony went off without a hitch, the hall full of spectators wanting to watch the coronation of the new Goblin Queen. She wore a grand dress of golden silk, as is the tradition to wear, with her dark hair curled and styled with ribbons and sparkly stones all through it.

She was very nervous and shaky, but remembered the vows of service to the underground and to her kingdom that Jareth and Sherryana had drilled into her. Caolin stood behind Jareth, as his second.

Sarah liked Caolin, but he was very quiet and hard to get to know. He did have nice brown eyes and seemed to have a crush on Sherryana she thought.

She got her first look and meeting with Jareth's family, Almost all very unemotional, but polite. Jareth looked a bit like his father, but nowhere near as serious. his mother had lovely red hair, and his sisters all shades of reddish blond. His youngest sister Jewel she liked very much, with her big smile and twinkling blue eyes.

Sarah also noticed a pair of immortals, clearly related to each other with ice blonde hair and pale lavender eyes, who watched her with obvious malice. She would meed to steer clear of those two, she thought.

The dinner was delicious, but she could hardly eat any of it. Sarah was really hoping this evening would start moving along more quickly. She sat to the left of Jareth who sat at the head of the table, and Jewel sat next to her. She was a lively one full of chatter and questions about Sarah's life above.

After dinner, those invited to do so, made their way to the ballroom.

As the music started, Jareth took Sarah's hand and guided her to the dance floor. Sarah let all the nervousness and stress leave her, and let her husband dance her around the room, looking into his eyes and soaking in his love and warmth.

She remembered their first dance all those years ago, and smiled. She knew he was thinking of it too by the way he smiled back at her. it was nice to have this private moment. Once they had danced a few moments, more couples joined them until the floor was full.

When the song ended, Sarah let Jareth guide her to a small table and chairs that had been sat in a place of honor, where they could receive guests. He sat down next to her and took her hand.

"Are you well my love? he asked quietly. He sensed her anxiety all afternoon and evening.

"Yes, Your Majesty, just tired, now that this night is mostly over. I think it is catching up with me." She tried not to yawn.  
Jareth kissed her hand. "Just tomorrow my Queen, a few other monarchs will want to meet with us, then we can get back to our home and lives."

Just then, the two immortals she noticed earlier approached them. "Jareth!" The woman said, just a little too familiar.

"Elsbeth, Elsian." Jareth said coldly. "You forget yourself, Princess Elspeth. It is Your Majesties."

The woman was undeterred. and stuck her hand out to The Goblin King. He reluctantly stood, and took her hand, brushing his lips against her knuckles.

"May I introduce you to my beloved wife, and The Goblin Queen, Queen Sarah?" He again overpronounced the word "wife."

"Charmed, Your Majesty." The woman, Elspeth, said, with obvious disdain. This is my brother, Elsian."

Sarah could feel their dislike. "Nice to meet you both." She said politely. Taking both their hands.  
one at a time.

Elspeth laughed, obviously very fake. "Well you are certainly a pretty one, for a mortal!"

Jareth narrowed his eyes. "Elspeth, she is no longer mortal, and she is the rightful Goblin Queen. Show respect or leave."

Elspeth looked up at him, batting her lashes. "Did you tell her about me, You Majesty? That we were once betrothed?"

Sarah was shocked to hear this. she had no idea he ever planned to marry another.

Jarth grabbed Elspeth's arm, squeezing it until she gasped. "Princess, you need to hold your tongue. You and I were NEVER betrothed, I courted you for 3 days as a favor to my mother, wherein I discovered what a shrew you were, and immediately banished you from my sight. If you were not royalty I would have insisted you not be allowed here now. Jealousy is an ugly trait, my dear. I advise you and you brother stay as far away from both myself and my wife as possible." He sneered at her.

Elspeth wrenched her arm away from The Goblin King. "Fine, Your Majesties, we shall leave you then." They both bowed stiffly and left.

Sarah had watched all of this take place in shock. 'Jareth?"

He turned to her then. "Sarah, do not listen to that witch. She lies. I have never wanted to marry until I found you."

Sarah suddenly didn't feel well. "Jareth, can we go to our rooms now? I am rather lightheaded."

He helped her up. "Sarah I am sorry, I did warn you not everyone would be happy about it."

"It's not that Jareth, please can we go? I really feel sick." She told him, trying to stay upright.

He was alarmed at her paleness and flushed face. " Yes. Let's get to you to bed right now, you look ill."

He turned, finding Jewel behind him looking concerned. "Jewel, get a healer sent to our suite immediately. I'm taking her there now."

Jareth swept Sarah into his arms and was gone, while the gathered immortals watched and gasped, taking stairs 2 and 3 at a time. Sarah lost consciousness as soon as they arrived in their rooms.

"Sarah!" He exclaimed. He laid her on the bed and waited for the healer to arrive, holding her gently, kissing her face, frightened at her sudden illness. "Sarah, please. I need you so."

A few moments later, Sherryana, Caolin, and Jewel arrived with the healer and his aide.

The healer was an ancient immortal named Perryn, the council's staff healer, his aide was a woman name Deela.

I must ask all of you to leave, except His Majesty if he chooses to stay." Perryn said to everyone. He could not order a king to leave.

Their assistants, and Jareth's sister quietly left the room.

"I'll stay." Jareth said firmly. Unwilling to leave his wife.

"Fine, but I must ask you try to keep all your energy subdued." Perryn said. "I need to examine her  
without interference, My Lord."

"Of course." Jareth said. He knew he need to control his own energy and power so the healer could get a proper magical reading.

The healer went to the bed and put his hand over the prone body of the queen. Concentrating and chanting, he let his magic do it's work.

When it was done, he stepped back and turned to the king. "She has been poisoned, by magic."

"WHAT!" Jareth roared. "Can you..I mean, will she..Oh my beloved..."

The healer tried to reassure Jareth. "I can heal her Your Majesty. because she was so recently changed, the poison was not immediately fatal to her. I must get it done now, My Lord. I ask with all due respect that you leave the room. Deela, you will need to hold her shoulders down, I need to draw the poison out, and it will be very painful, and she may thrash. Get her assistant in here to hold her feet."

Jareth was beside himself with rage and worry, but he stopped and took a breath, remembering he needed to think of her first. "I will do it, healer. I will not leave her."

The healer looked the king in the eye. "You realize you cannot interfere with the pain, Sire, you will have to be able to sit by and watch her suffer through it without making a move. Are you sure you can do that?"

"Yes." Jareth hissed. He had to be strong for her. He could not leave her to her pain alone.

"Fine." Hold her shoulders down, You Majesty, and press with all your strength. she is already very strong for someone newly changed..She will fight you, and she will scream."

Jareth sat next to his wife, an laid his arms upon her shoulders and arms, His head next to hers. Deela grabbed her lower legs and pressed as well so she would not thrash.

Perryn then laid his hands upon her heart, and began chanting. A putrid green mist began to emerge from Sarah. Sarah's eye flew open and bulged out as it felt like her life was being ripped out of her body. Then she screamed, her body bowing up, trying to move, as Jareth and Deela kept her from throwing her arms and legs around.

Jareth listened to her screams, and whispered in her ear. "I am here, hang on." He felt tears in his eyes, and he gritted his teeth and pressed her down, as the poison leeched out of her.

It seemed like forever, but in reality was only a few minutes. finally exhausted from his efforts. Perryn moved back. Sarah lapsed back into unconsciousness. "It is done, your Majesty, the poison has been removed." He held up a bottle, where the angry mist churned.

"Destroy it." Jareth growled. "What is this evil brew?"

"It is as disgusting of black magic as I have ever seen, My lord. It is forbidden magic. Whomever did this is following a path that they can never turn back from and will have to be executed." Perryn said, with a scowl.

Jareth met his eyes, and the healer saw the feral look of pure hatred there. "They will be anyway healer, by my own hand."

He then sat next to Sarah on the bed, taking her in his arms. still looking at the healer. "I can guarantee I will greatly enjoy removing the head of the vile being who dared poison my Sarah, and watching their blood drain into the ground. How long will it take to recover?"

The healer was unsettled by the deadly look in The Goblin King's eyes. he would remember never to cross him. "She should be well enough to travel home tomorrow, as I assume you will want to forgo tomorrow's meetings. She will be a little weak, and may have severe nightmares as an after effect for a night or two. With your power you should be able to transport her easily. I will recommend to the council you get special permission to use the transportation spell from within the city. They will approve."

"Thank you healer Perryn." Jareth replied, caressing his wive's face and hair. He saw she seemed to be sleeping peacefully for now. "You will be rewarded."

"No need My Lord, it is my place in the world to heal." The healer said, gesturing to his aide to be ready to leave. "I also recommend you have your own healer monitor her for a few days once you arrive home."

"Thank you, you are dismissed, healer." Jareth said, trying to be quiet, but wanting to scream.

The healer and his aide left the room, as Sherryana, Caolin, and Jewel rushed back in.

"Will Her Majesty be well?" Sherryana asked. Watching the king with his wife. She wanted to cry. Never had she seen a king behave with such open affection for his queen. his love for her was obvious. They had heard the screams. That the king stayed with his wife spoke volumes.

Jareth looked up and saw them there, concerned. "She will recover, but I must ask that you all leave us be for the night, and make sure the queen's royal guards are stationed at all doors to these rooms. I will stay awake and protect her myself."

"Yes Your Majesty." The assistants said in unison.

"You too, my sister." Jareth said after Sherryana and Caolin left. Jewel was standing there quietly watching her brother.

The girl said to her brother. "You really love her, don't you, Jareth, I'm glad. I hope someday I marry for love like you bare her."

She walked over and placed her hand on his shoulder. "I will be nearby, if you need me."

"Thank you." the king said.

When finally he was alone with Sarah, he magically changed them both into comfortable clothing as he did not want to leave her to change, or wake her.

He leaned against the headboard of the bed with Sarah in his arms, all night, watching. When she cried out, moved or reached out he would talk to her quietly, and sing, hoping to subdue her nightmares.

As the dawn broke, she opened her eyes, and saw Jareth watching her.

"My Sarah.." he breathed, a tear falling. She reached up and brushed it away.

"I dreamed you were singing to me." She said, smiling weakly.

"I was, my love." Jareth smiled back at her.

She hugged him tightly to her, and the both fell asleep, exhausted.


	7. Chapter 7

Sarah awoke a few hours later, Jareth was still sound asleep, so she let him rest. She was weak and a bit wobbly, but managed to make it to the bath. She noticed she was queasy and her memories after her dance with Jareth were hazy, except a vague impression of extreme pain and confusing voices and chanting going on, then waking a few hours ago, speaking to Jareth, and falling back to sleep. Looking down she also saw she was in a simple cotton nightgown, which she did not remembering changing into.

"What the hell...?" She said out loud, trying to piece things together. She decided her best bet was to wake Jareth, as much as she hated to. He looked drawn and tired even in his sleep. She went and sat on the bed next to him and shook him.

"Jareth? I hate to wake you, but what on earth happened? Did someone spike my food or drink?"

Jareth woke to her voice, sitting up immediately and grabbing her shoulders to pull her closer. "Sarah how are you feeling? Are you still tired, weak, would you like me to call the healer back?"

His eyes and hands traveled all over her, as if checking for something amiss.

"I'm okay, a little nauseous, and weak, but okay..I felt like I had a very violent case of the flu. What happened? I can't remember much. How long have I been out of it?"

Jareth paused, wondering how much he should tell her. "Since right after we danced last night. I have to tell you something but you must not let your fear get the better of you. Someone, I don't know who but I will find out, poisoned you last night. With magic. Forbidden magic."

"Someone POISONED me?! Sarah shouted and jumped up. "What the..Who in the..WHY?!"

Jareth cringed, not wanting to upset her further. "I am assuming someone who takes great offense at you being Goblin Queen, not to mention, also someone who wants to die quite painfully by my hand...and whomever it was, will. Do not doubt that my love, and don't be afraid, we are leaving here as soon as I get notice of approval to transport directly from here to the Goblin City."

Sarah turned suddenly, and what he saw was not what he expected to see at all. Her green eyes were not full of fear and tears, but ablaze with something else.

"AFRAID?! Oh, I am not just afraid, Your Majesty, I'm am pissed off! How dare someone decide because *they* don't like me being born human, that they have the right to take my life from me! I came here to be with you! Even if I wasn't made The Goblin Queen, I would have stayed here forever just for that reason alone! By your hand, Jareth! Bull! By my hand! When I find out who did this I will kick their ass myself! These people do not even know the first thing about me! ARRGH!"

Sarah was stomping around the room, flinging her arms and yelling. Doing so brought Caolin and Sherryana rushing in to see what was going on, which alerted the guards at the door who also came in.

Sherryana took Sarah by the arms, stopping her tirade. "Your Majesty, how are you? You must calm down. My Lady you were terribly ill."

"I wasn't ill, they tried to kill me, Sherryana..whoever "they" are. They tried to..to just..kill me! Like I am nothing!" Sarah said, her voice breaking, wrenching free from her assistants hold.

Jareth watched her silently. He forgot what a fighter the girl was. This was the Sarah who he met all those years ago. Angry and stubborn, too stubborn to give in to fear he could feel coming from her in waves.

He went to her and put his arms around her, then looked over her head at the others gathered, watching.

"Please leave us. you are dismissed." He said to them. "Make sure everything is transported back to the castle. We will be going home shortly."

They all left the room. Leaving Jareth alone with his distraught wife.

"Sarah, Sherryana is right, you must calm down. I am angry too, believe me. Whomever did this will pay."

Sarah pushed him away, glaring at him.

"Why didn't you warn me Jareth, that this was a possibility? That these..people..whatever they want to call themselves, would be so biased against me, that one or more of them would simply just try to be rid of me!"

Jareth sighed, he took her hand and led her to a chair, sat her down, then knelt in front of her. he rubbed his face in tired frustration, trying to think.

"I just..I don't know what to say my love. I guess I honestly thought no one would be so bold, or biased, as to try such a thing here. Most of my kind are good people Sarah, if a bit cold at times. This is not a common thing. Oh we may have our gossip and our backbiting and various drama, but such a thing as using forbidden magic to poison a queen? Especially The Goblin Queen, and a Keeper? This is beyond any other petty evil I have ever seen. Trying to depose royalty is not unheard of, but Keepers are sacred, no matter what anyone thinks of the person, the position is sacrosanct."

"Jareth." Sarah began, still very tired herself. "I understand you want to protect me. I love you for that, but I am adult. I have a right to know when my own life is in danger. I took care of myself for many years before came here. I even took self defense classes and martial arts in my old life. Sometimes I don't mind that you want to take care of me, even pamper me. The fact is though, you can't shelter me from life, my husband. You want me to be strong, but you don't want me have a reason to? I can face anything if I know what I'm dealing with here. It's very scary that I could have died last night, but I am not a timid little wallflower."

Jareth knew all this to be true, the last thing he ever wanted was for Sarah to lose her inner fire. That is what drew him in like a moth to a flame. He would never want her to become a shadow of herself, and hide herself away.

"I know Sarah..I just..I cannot bear the thought of losing you. I just found you." He said quietly.

Sarah cupped his face and tilted up to look in her beloved's eyes. "You will never lose me no matter what happens I am always in here." She then laid her hand over his heart, and smiled. "No one can ever take that away, from either of us, just let them try. They will always fail."

Jareth smiled back, and touched her cheek."I said it before and I will say it again. You are wise, my Queen."

Sarah stood up, sighing deeply. "Well, now what? Who investigates these things, do you have some sort of immortal police?"

Jareth marveled at her resolve. Why do I ever underestimate her? He thought.

"The council and their staff are investigating, but they can do little until they know for sure who has done this. We may be resigned to waiting until whatever person or persons makes another move against us."

"Great." Sarah said, frowning. "Well then, they better come with all guns blazing and ready for a fight, as they say above. I'm not going to wait around like a sitting duck."

"Indeed my love." Jareth said, holding his wife tightly to him. "Indeed."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In another part of the city:A shadowy figure makes their way up a set of dark stairs, takes out a key, and unlocks a old wooden door, another figure who had been looking out the window, turns.

"It did not kill her, the girl survived thanks to her mortal heritage." The first figure said.

The other was not surprised. "That was the plan, after all, not kill her, but to see how strong she is. Granted if she had died, I would have enjoyed Jareth's suffering, but now we can do as we planned originally."

The first replied. "They are going back to The Goblin City directly."

"No matter." The other said. "We can get to her there too. We have the book, remember. We will get her in our possession, no matter where she is."

"Master." The first hissed. "She is much stronger than we even suspected. Are you sure the forbidden magic will work?"

The figure by the window turned back to look out, seeing the great towers of Council Hall in the distance. "I am sure. We will have the ultimate power in the underground at our disposal soon, and the girl is the key. Jareth's little changed mortal Queen. How much I will enjoy using her to get access to The Labyrinth and The Ways, and disposing of her. with that power we can rebuild our kingdom, and make those that destroyed it pay..go, before anyone starts looking for you."

"Yes, Master." The first figure said, then turned and fled quickly down the stairs and into the street, swallowed up by the crowd.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In a tower of the Council Hall:

The Healer Perryn was worried. He had spent all night with the bottle of the noxious magic in front of him, studying it, chanting over it, trying to unlock the secret of it's origins. He thought all the books and knowledge of this magic had been destroyed.

The kingdom where it had come from long dead, and every creature within it. That someone had found it was quite disturbing. In almost 3000 years, he had never seen evidence of it's continued existence until now. He shuddered, remembering the time before, when all was nearly lost.

As a rule he was very practical and pragmatic. Having seen life and death for so long, he was rather jaded, and did his work without becoming involved. It wasn't always like that, in his first years as a healer, he would cry and mourn, but soon realized he could not die every time someone else did, so he learned to remove himself from it all.

He could not remain so now, he needed to figure out where this came from. Not because of the harm it did to one person, but because he knew if he did not, all living being in all worlds could suffer. His vows as a healer were clear on such matters, if you must put yourselves in harms way for the greater good, you had no choice. He will continue to work in secret, then take whatever he found directly to The Goblin King. He nodded to himself, yes, that is what he will do.

He continued to stare at the evil mist locked inside the bottle.

He would need to make a trip to The Dead Kingdom, alone. It was forbidden to know how to get in, but he knew the way. He was born there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The Council finally approved of the healer's petition to use a transport spell from within the city.

With all haste, Sarah, Jareth, and their party transported home as soon as they were cleared to do so.

Sarah was still quite tired and weak from her ordeal so transporting took what strength she had left, even with Jareth bearing the brunt of the energy it took.

She immediately was taken to the rooms she shared with Jareth and put to bed. Jareth's healer, Merrik, examined her and pronounced her cured, but in need of 3 days rest to regain her strength.

2 days into her bed rest, Sarah was ready to climb the walls, she was unused to staying in bed for days and holding still.

Sherryana was good company, they talked and played games, then she would help Sarah attend to any necessities she might to take care of. Jareth also came and spent time when he could, but he was unable to neglect his position completely. He also sent for her friends to come and visit her, which she did enjoy.

She was also frustrated that her husband insisted on sleeping in the Queen's rooms next door. She desperately missed him at night.

"Sherryana, this is driving me insane!" Sarah told the blonde sitting in the chair by the bed. "Can't we go out to the gardens or something? I feel fine."

"My Lady, Merrik said one more day." Sherryana said in a firm tone. "You do not want to do too much to soon. His Majesty would be quite upset if you went against the healer's advice."

Just then the door opened and Jareth came in, giving the two women as bright a smile as he could manage.

"Good day my lovely Queen! To you as well Sherryana."

Sarah gave him a weary look. " Speak of the devil and he appears. Perky doesn't exactly suit you, Jareth. Knock it off."

Jareth chuckled at that, she had a point. "Yes, well, I would daresay it's a few steps up from my rather grumpy wife."

"Right now grumpy suits me quite nicely." Sarah said, frowning at him.

Jareth sat down on the other side of the bed and bent to place a kiss on Sarah's forehead. "Ah, everything suits you, precious. Tomorrow morning you will be up and about. Annoying the goblins with orders to clean up after themselves again."

Sarah wrinkled her nose at him. "And when will my husband be sleeping in the same bed as me again? I've kind of gotten used to you, you know."

"And I you, my dear, but with your history, I knew you would be wanting..." He stopped, looking pointedly at Sherryana. "Well let's just say you would not have gotten the rest you needed." He said winking at Sarah. They both noticed Sherryana blushing.

Sherryana took that as her cue. "Ahem, well Your Majesties, I have a few things to attend to. I will be back in a few hours, My Lady."

After she left, Sarah scolded Jareth. "You embarrassed her Jareth, you know better, you naughty thing."

He smiled broadly at his wife. "I wanted a proper kiss from my beloved, so I did what I had to do."

With that he leaned in and pulled Sarah to him, taking her warm mouth to his and tasting her for the first time in days.

Sarah pulled back. "That was not anything near proper, Your Majesty."

"I know, but there is proper, and then there is proper." He replied, standing up from them the bed. Looking at her there, he wanted nothing more than to ravish her completely, but he knew he should wait.

"One more night, my Sarah, then we can get back to enjoying each others' company."

"I really wish you would at least sleep with me, Jareth." Sarah said, still moody. "I would behave myself."

"I know you would try, my love, but I don't think I could behave myself around you, looking so luscious." He gave her that sexy smirk that drove her crazy.

"Arrgh..Fine." Sarah said. "Jareth, I've been thinking about something. Something I would like to do for myself."

"Yes?" Jareth said. "What is it you would like to do?"

"I want to start training." Sarah told him. "I mean with my guards. I have seen them working out with staffs and swords, and also hand to hand. I took self defense, kickboxing, and martial arts when I was aboveground. I miss the exercise, plus I could protect myself better."

Jareth frowned ar her now. "I do not think that is necessary, my love. That is what the guards are for. You have them, you have magic, and you have me. I understand the need for exercise though, but once your garden is finished you will be able to.."

"No Jareth." Sarah interupted him. "I want to do what I know how to do. I don't want to be some helpless female relying on others to protect me. I have always protected myself. I like that type of exercise, and I want to be able to fight beside you, not hide behind you, guards, OR magic."

"Sarah, You cannot ask me to approve of this idea. It is ridiculous. You are a queen, such activities would be seen as improper." Jareth said again. "It is NOT necessary. Don't defy me precious."

Sarah crossed her arms and glared at him. "Are we, or are we NOT equals here? You forget, I was not raised in a world where girls were expected to be little delicate flowers who got the vapors and fainted if someone spoke a harsh word to them. I had a life, Jareth. I do not regret giving up that life, don't get me wrong, but I worked, I volunteered, and went to the gym, the library, traveled, and I did it by myself. FOR myself. Don't expect me to stop being me."

Jareth glared back. "Sarah, you are correct in one thing, you gave up that life, gladly, I thought. I do not expect you to not be you, but you will have to adapt."

"I will adapt, I have adapted. I've compromised all over the place, but maybe it is you, now,  
and everyone here that should adapt a little. I AM different Jareth, changed or not, I have different needs than someone born here. I NEED to do this. For me. So I don't feel helpless here."

"I cannot stop you, but I cannot say I approve. Yes, we are equals, so I cannot order you to NOT do it. I do NOT agree with it Sarah." Jareth said.

"Fine, Jareth, we will agree to disagree." Sarah told him in a firm voice. "I'm doing it."

Jareth sighed. "Do what you will, stubborn woman. I will take my leave now before we frustrate each other further."

"Fine , Your Majesty." Sarah said, watching him leave the rooms and slam the door behind him.

"I'm stubborn? He is stubborn! and pigheaded, and irritating, and...he has funny hair! Hmph!"

Sarah grumped out loud to herself. She turned and hit the pillow a few times, then laid down, feeling annoyed. After a time, she managed to drift off for a few hours sleep.

Jareth went to his study. His disagreement with Sarah putting him in a bad mood. He even kicked a few goblins along the way, which didn't help.

He threw himself into his chair and glared at the papers on his desk, as if trying to set them on fire.

Caolin then came in, standing in front of the desk, waiting.

"What is it?" Jareth snapped at him.

"My Lord, may I ask you something?" Caolin queried.

"I suppose, Caolin." Jareth said, sounding resigned to a very bad day.

"Sire, why are you terrorizing the goblins this time? They are hiding out, saying "Kingy mad!"

Jareth looked up, his eyes meeting Caolin's brown ones. "I am a bit perturbed. At Sarah. I don't like being mad at her, but she is so damn stubborn and now has some fool idea that she needs to be in warrior's training with her guards!"

Caolin was quiet for a moment. "May I speak frankly?"

"Of course, Caolin, speak your mind, Everyone else is today." the king said.

"Her Majesty was not born in this world. Don't get me wrong, she is a lovely woman and we are all fond of her, but you shouldn't ask her to be something she is not, and will never be. You have made her immortal, but this does not mean she thinks like one. Personally, My Lord, I think that is a good thing. We need her..human-ness, for lack of a better word, here. Maybe, just maybe, instead of trying to change her, you should let her change you. You have been kinder, more considerate, and warmer than I have ever seen you. She has done that. You are the soul of this kingdom and are a wonderful king. She is now the heart of it. Let her do what she needs to continue to keep that humanity that makes her that way."

Jareth listened to his assistant, and started to feel a little ashamed at being so stern with his wife. Caolin had been with him since he came here, he has always provided wise counsel.

"You are right Caolin, I keep forgetting where she came from, even though she keeps trying to remind me of it. Maybe I turned a deaf ear because I did not want to think she could have been lost to me. Maybe I'm too old and to stubborn myself to remember she is still so young in years, that she needs to still experience and learn, and find her way, in this world that is new to her."

"A wise thought, Your Majesty." Caolin replied.

Jareth smirked at his assistant. "I will speak to her again later, maybe tomorrow, give her sometime to cool off. Let her know if this is something she needs to do, I can accept it."

Caolin turned to leave, but then stopped and look back at his king. "Just a thought, why don't you help in her training. you are an expert in all methods of defense we use here. Who else to better train with her?"

"I will think on it, Caolin. You are dismissed." The king said, already deep in thought.

Later that evening, after dinner with her friends, Sarah felt much better. It took talking to Hoggle to make her realize a few things, herself.

"His Majesty has been alone a long time, Sarah." Hoggle had said. "You gets set in yer ways, after a time. Gets used doin' things a certain way, then suddenly havin' ta change, well that ain't easy. Now you knows I sure ain't fond of 'im, but I sure knows he loves ya, girly. I ain't never seen anyone turn his head the way you did, even backs when you were here the first time. He sure does like ta gets me all up in arms and make me crazy, but I gotta say you need ta try an' sees things his way too. This is all new to 'im too, I'm guessin'. "

Sarah looked fondly at her dear friend. "You are right Hoggle, I know, I also know it isn't easy for you to defend him, since he likes to scare you and pick on you. He just.. well I just have to make him see, I need to be able to take care of myself, too."

"Ahh..as much as I grouse about the rat, he is a good king, best we had, and that's the truth. Even if it pains me to say it." Hoggle admitted. "You just give 'im time. He will come around."

That was a few hours ago, and Sarah was tossing and turning, trying to get to sleep. She really was not tired though, in fact she was energized, looking forward to the end of her mandatory bed rest and back into learning all there was to learn about her magic, and back to her duties.

"Well, this will not do at all." She said out loud. "I am going to go and talk to Jareth now. I don't care if he is sleeping."

She got up and pulled her robe on, as it was a bit chilly, and made her way to the chambers next door in which her husband was sleeping.

Approaching the bed, she noticed his supine form, the blankets having slipped down to just below his waist. Damn, she thought, he is the most gorgeous creature she had ever seen even from the back, feeling a sudden need to be near him.

Sarah slipped her robe and night shift off, and quietly got into the bed, slid over and pressed herself against the back of her very naked king, and slipped her arms around him.

Jareth had awoken and knew she was there the second she was in the room, but didn't move a muscle, and let her come to him. As soon as she had touched him he was aroused.

"Jareth." Sarah whispered into his ear. "I miss you next to me. I could not wait one second more."

He turned onto his back and opened his eyes, taking in her naked form. "I miss you too, my love."

Sarah straddled him, and kissed him deeply. pulling back she started, "I'm sorry, Jareth, I didn't mean to.."

"Shhh.." Jareth said to her, placing his finger on her lips. "I too, must apologize. I am sorry I have a difficult time, at times, remembering that you are not a woman born here. If you really want, really need to train, then I will not stop you. I forget how strong you are, and you can take care of yourself. I propose a idea, which I have to give Caolin the credit for. I would like to train with you as well as the guards, to teach you all I know. Goblins are fine fighters, but we immortals have a bit more finesse that might come in handy for you to know."

Sarah smiled widely "Ohh..so I get a chance to kick your fine butt too? That sounds fun Your Majesty!"

Jareth chuckled. "Well, eventually I hope you do learn to, ahem "kick my fine butt" was it? If you are able to do that, I'm certain no one would be able to get the better of you."

She kissed him happy to be back in his arms, and felt a more urgent need starting to let itself be known.

"I know I'm on bed rest for a few more hours, my love, but, I really do feel 100% fine now. Well except for one thing."

Jareth raised his brow at her. "What would that be precious?"

"I desperately need to make hot sweet love with my husband or I may perish." She said, kissing his neck, and chest, and caressing him lightly.

"Ahh..well, we can't have that, can we, the mighty warrior queen perishing from lack of...well, me." He said, giving her a sexy grin.

In a husky voice, Sarah whispered "Let me take care of you, my love, lay back and let me do the work this time."

"Who am I to say no?" Jareth growled back.

She started to move down then licking his warm skin, down his stomach, and taking hold of his shaft, she sat up and began moving her hand up and down, making Jareth moan and jerk his hips forward.

"Sarah...you are a goddess.." He said closing his eyes and enjoying his wife's movements. After a few minutes she stopped and moved back up, causing a groan of protest from the man underneath her. "Why did you stop? I was so enjoying myself."

Sarah kissed him. "I know, but we are far from done." she said.

She sat up, and Jareth ran his hand over her, stopping and squeezing her breasts, playing with her sensitive nipples. Sarah tipped her head back, letting a low moan escape her. She scooted up so she could bend down and he could take her nipples into his mouth, back and forth he went, sucking and licking them, as his hand explored her back, hips, thighs and behind, giving her goose bumps and making her center become wet with desire.

"Oh god Jareth," she gasped out. "You and that tongue of yours."

"Just my tongue?" he said, in between suckling her skin. He slid his fingers down between her folds, stimulating her clit, then sliding inside her.

"Ohhh..okay your fingers are good too." She moaned out, halfway to her climax already.

"That is all? My tongue and fingers?" Jareth asked her in a teasing voice.

She slid her body down against him, kissing him, tasting his tongue in her mouth. He moved his lips to her neck, her earlobe, sucking her skin there, make her crazy. All the time pumping his fingers in and out of her opening, while rubbing her bud with his thumb.

"There may be one other thing I believe you wield with fair proficiency." Sarah teased back, wriggling as he toyed with her.

"Must be my swagger stick, or maybe my riding crop." He guessed with a smirk.

Sarah laughed. "Oh it's a swagger stick alright. We can talk about your riding crop later."

Sarah sat up, pulling away from him. She looked down at him, laying there, fully erect, and looking at her with *that* look, that smirk that drove her insane. He is like every wet dream I ever had come to life, she thought.  
She again straddled him, placing her opening above his cock, and slowly she guided him into her.

She sat down completely, letting him fill her.

Jareth grabbed her hips and moaned, she was so tight, so wet, so..amazing. "My precious girl, how you fit me so perfectly."

Sarah leaned down and kissed him softly, then pushed herself up and placed her hands on his shoulders.  
She began to move her hips , up and down, then in circles, feeling him slide in and out of her. She kissed and sucked his pale nipples, feeling him shudder beneath her. His hand were everywhere, grasping her hips, rubbing her breasts, then reaching between them to give her clit some attention.

Sarah was moaning loudly, almost to her peak. A few more strokes, and she screamed out "Jareth!" and could feel her body tightening around him, her thighs clamping over his hips, trembling and moving faster than before, slamming herself against him, his hips thrusting upward to meet her body.

Jareth's head was tipped back, breathing heavily, hanging on to her hips, letting her ride him to completion, and taking him along with her. Feeling himself go over the edge, and spill himself into her warm body, groaning as he felt himself relax afterwards.

"Sarah...gods..woman. how you drive me mad with passion. I will never have enough of you."

"You better not, Your Majesty." She said, raising her head up off his chest, looking at him with a very sated smile. "I expect you to please me for all of eternity."

He lightly caressed her back. "Mmm..my pleasure, my queen, I am your humble sex slave." He said, smiling back.

She giggled. "Sex slave, definitely. Humble? Yeah, I think not."

"I cannot argue with that, my love. Humility is not one of my strongest traits." He said back, cupping her face and kissing her. "How is this, your not so humble, yet fully willing sex slave."

"Mmmm..I like it, and no need to be humble, you rock my world." She grinned.

Sarah let herself slip off his body, then snuggled into his side, with his arm around her, her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Her favorite place in the universe.

He laughed softly, her human phrases always amused him. Maybe he should starting adding some to his vocabulary, he thought. That should annoy some of the other immortals.

He looked down, she was sound asleep already, a soft smile on her face.

Fully content, The Goblin King fell into a deep sleep. his true love by his side.

A few hours later, Jareth and Sarah were awoken by a tapping on the door. "Your Majesty..My Lord?"

"Yes Sherryana, what is it?" Jareth asked in a sleepy voice.

"I am so sorry to wake you, but I can't seem to locate Her Majesty Lady Sarah, do you know where she might have gone?" The assistant asked in a worried voice.

"I am here, Sherryana, I decided if The King wouldn't come to The Queen, then I would take matters into my own hands." Sarah said, winking at Jareth.

"Oh, I see My Lady..well, um.. alright. Please call me when you are ready to get started. Shall I go to your offices and wait?" Sherryana replied, sounding a little embarrassed.

"Yes, that will be fine." Sarah told her. "Why don't you have breakfast with Caolin?" I think I will be dining with my husband this morning, in bed."

There was a slight pause from Sherryana. "Yes, My Lady. I will leave you both to your morning, Good day Your Majesties."

As her footsteps faded, Sarah started giggling, which led into full blown laughter.

"I thought you told ME to not to embarrass the girl, you are the naughty thing. " Jareth said laughing, watching tears of laughter roll down Sarah's face.

Sarah managed to get herself under control. "I know..I really didn't mean to, I guess I'm just in a very good mood my love." She turned and threw her arms around Jareth, kissing him good morning.

The king returned the favor, then rolled his wife under him. For the couple it was a very good morning indeed.

Once the got out of bed, and back in their quarters, Jareth called for breakfast, while Sarah got the bath ready. They took a leisurely bath together, then had breakfast waiting for them when they were done.

After they got ready for the day, Jareth escorted Sarah to the door to her offices. "I love you precious, now behave yourself on your first day back to your duties. I will speak to Teagus about you starting your training routines tomorrow afternoon." He planted a kiss on her lips, then forehead.

"Have a good day my husband, I love you madly." Sarah said as she watched him head towards his office to begin his day.

Smiling and humming to herself, she opened the door and made her way into her study.

"Good Morning My Lady, I trust you had a good breakfast with His Majesty?" Sherryana asked, rising up from her desk.

"Good Morning Sherryana, I did thank you. I wanted to apologize if I made you feel uncomfortable, I was just in a very silly mood this morning." Sarah told her.

Her assisant and friends smiled back. "It is fine Lady Sarah. I am honestly glad to see you and the king holding such obvious affection for one another. Such love is rare here. It gives me hope I might someday find such passion for someone."

"I hope that you do, my friend, there is nothing like it." Sarah said, being a bit more informal since they were alone. "I noticed Caolin finds you quite intriguing."

Sherryana blushed deeply then. "Yes. Well, we did have a pleasant breakfast. He is very nice."

"Ahh, that is a good start." Sarah smiled at her, making note of the blush. "Oh, I will need to finish my paperwork, meetings and duties 3 days a week by lunchtime. Those 3 days I will be spending the afternoons training with Teagan and the other guards, and His Majesty, learning some underground defense techniques."

Sherryana's mouth dropped open, gaping at the queen's words. " What?! I ..I mean, I'm sorry My lady, it's just that..you are entering warrior training?!"

Sarah sighed."I know Sherryana, it's just not done here, so people tell me. I'm not from here, and I need to be able to defend myself, no matter what the situation. You never know what will happen, and apparently I have a big huge target on my back. Well they just aren't going to get me without a fight. Whomever it is, is going to be in for quite a surprise."

"Yes, Your Majesty, of course. I am in no position to tell you what to do, but it's just..so strange. I do admire you for it though. I could never try such a thing. My parents would disown me." The other woman said.

"Well, maybe I will start a trend. Immortal women who can take care of themselves." Sarah said to her. "now, shall we get to work?"

"Yes, My Lady, you have much paperwork and correspondence built up. The head cook also would like to speak with you."

Sarah sat at her desk. "Well let's get to it."

Before he went to his study, Jareth went to the guards training room, where the goblin men were sparring.

"Teagus, I need to speak with you." He said to the Head Royal Guard of The Goblin Queen.

All the Goblins stopped immediately and bowed to the king.

"Yes Your Majesty. Is there a problem?" Teagus said.

"Not at all. You are all doing an excellent job. I will just come out with it. Your Queen has decided she would like to enter warrior's training with you, and your men. Before you say it, yes, I am aware such a thing is odd to you, but regardless, the Queen wishes to know how to fight and defend herself.

The goblin males were staring at their king in disbelief.

"My Lord, if you tell us to train her we will do so, as you are our king. This is quite a surprise. There are a few races in which females train and fight, but immortals? I have never heard of such a thing." Teagus answered, sounding puzzled.

"I know Teagus, but this is what she wants to do, and we must note she was not born in our world, knowing our traditions. I will teach her the sword myself, but you will teach her hand to hand fighting, Feran and Dargus will teach her to use the staff. I have thought hard about this. If she insists on being trained, I want her well trained. Taking it easy on her would make her more dangerous to herself than training her properly. So, in here, she is not your queen, she is a fellow warrior in training. do I have your word?"

"Absolutely My Lord, your word is law, and your will be done." the guard said, bowing deeply.

Jareth smirked at the guard. Teagus was one of his most loyal. He had sparred with the goblin himself. He will teach Sarah well.

"Her Majesty says she already took defense training in the above, so we shall see. Good day." He said, then turned and left.

"Good day Your Majesty." The guards said in unison. They rose after he left talking among themselves.

"Sir Teagus? We are really going to train with the Queen?" Grindle asked.

"You heard the King, Grindle. So yes, we are." Teagus said to the other goblin in admiring tone. A warrior Goblin Queen, he thought. Yes, he liked that idea a great deal.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Sweat poured down Sarah's forehead as turned and blocked Jareth's sword with her own. They had been sparring for over and hour, and she noticed he seemed to be perfectly fine, not even breaking a sweat. Ugh!

It had been several weeks since Sarah began the training regimen, and while Jareth and the guards kept telling her she was coming along, she didn't feel like she was making much progress.

Jareth just kept telling her "It takes time, my love, be patient with yourself."

Which frustrated her even more.

Every time he said it she had an overwhelming desire to smack him on the back of the head.

She even told him so.

He founded it hilarious.

Of course he would.

Until a few days ago when she went ahead and did it.

Which led to him wrestling her to the floor, and that led to a very interesting situation with his riding crop, wherein he "punished" her for several hours. Several times.

She had to admit, that kind of punishment, she could get on board with. Ahem.

"Attention!" Jareth said loudly, snapping her mind back to the present. "Sarah, you can't let your mind wander. A split second is all it takes to run you through. I think you are too secure in the knowledge that I will not harm you. You must be able to separate who we are in this room, from who we are outside of it. In here, with my sword pointing at you, I AM your enemy."

"I know." Sarah sighed, laying her sword down. "I'm sorry I just can't seem to get the hang of this. I do better with the staff and the hand to hand. The sword is the bane of my existence right now."

"You ARE making progress, I really wish you would see that. Learning to wield a sword with enough skill to fight is something we do here from when we are very young. You can't compare yourself to me or anyone here." Jareth told her firmly. "You are really doing quite well, much farther along that I would have though you would be by now. Your biggest problem now is learning to concentrate and focus, shutting everything else out but your opponent."

"I'm trying!" She snapped at him. "I am really! I just, I worry about having to..you know..kill someone."

Jareth slid his sword into his scabbard. "I understand that, but this is the life of a warrior. If you are going to carry a sword you have to be prepared to use it. I hope it is something you never have to do, it is one of the most unpleasant experiences one can have. Especially now that you are immortal and have it stay with you for eternity. We have started this, now we must keep going. a partially trained warrior is more dangerous than a fully trained one."

"So, you have killed people?" Sarah asked knew deep down that of course he had, but hearing him say it, was altogether different.

Jareth turned from her, walking towards the wall of weapons, trying to formulate an answer.

"Yes, Sarah I have. Not in a long time, but I have taken many lives. I told you before, we are mostly a peaceful world, now. We have had our wars, and in wars, it is your duty to dispatch the enemy. All immortal men of rank serve in the armies."

"I have to ask again, How old are you?" She asked quietly, walking to stand in front of him.

He paused for a moment. "I am a little over 4,000 mortal years old, Sarah. I don't like to say, because I was afraid it would be too much for you to take. Here I'm am considered barely within the middle generation of people."

Sarah was blown away. "4,000 years old?! that's..I don't know what to say to that!" She openly gaped at him.

Jareth smirked at her expression. "I have been here just under 3,000 years. It was after the last major conflict that I was called to be The Goblin King. Incredibly young, really, for my world. That is one of the reasons I'm not well liked here by my own kind, no one so young has been made a king, much less of this place. In most cases, I would just now be considered to rule a kingdom."

Sarah smiled a little."Wow talking about robbing the cradle Your Majesty. Dirty old man, that is what you are."

He laughed. "Yes I guess so. From your point of view I'm decrepit and and need to be walking with a cane drooling all over myself at the young nubile wife I've been blessed with."

Sarah laughed. "You didn't have to hide it from me, Jareth, I get that this world isn't like mine, I mean my old one. So, did you see the pyramids be built and stuff?"

"I did see them when they were fairly new, lovely, gleaming white, when I was quite young. We were all impressed with such a feat."

Sarah paused. "Who were you at war with? I mean back before you became Goblin King."

Jareth smiled faded, his lips tightened and he turned away again. "My love, it is forbidden to talk of that place, those people. It is a dead place now, nothing lives there. Those few of us who know the way in are not allowed to discuss it. It was corrupted by it's King's actions, and all had to be destroyed."

She was very curious about this, and decided to do some digging on her own, but asked one more question. "You had to kill an entire kingdom?"

Jareth was looking at the floor now. "Sarah they were all under the influence of such an evil that could not be allowed to live. They were shadows of the beings they had been before. We had no choice." He looked up and met her eyes, pleading silently to drop it.

She nodded, and let it go for the moment. She could see talking about it bothered him very much.

"Alright. Well, Your Majesty, let's get to it." Sarah said, picking up her sword. "Well?"

Jareth shook off his dark thoughts of the past, took out his sword and took starting position. "Let us duel, my queen...remember to the victor goes the spoils." He grinned wickedly at her.

Later, Jareth went to his offices, telling Sarah he had some paperwork to catch up on, but really he needed to spend sometime alone. There was so much he had not told her yet. About her position here, about himself, his past.

He knew he needed to tell her eventually, but when he was around her, he could not help himself. He felt light and carefree with her, like a youngling on his honeymoon, instead of the fearsome Goblin King the rest of the underground thought him to be, and to be fair, it was a reputation he had earned, had HAD to earn. So no one would even think of moving against him and his kingdom.

With her he was just Jareth, her husband, a man in love with a woman. The past few weeks he had reveled in the peace, the normalcy..but it was going to change.

He wanted to protect her, coddle her, keep her safe from all those who would harm her. He knew it could not last forever.

She would find out eventually, how cold and cruel this world can be, how cold and cruel he had been.

The atrocities he had been forced to commit in that long ago war ate at him, made him that cold cruel man.

Yes, he was a good king. He did his job, as to not do so would have been a grave dishonor to himself and his world.

Being The Goblin King and The Keeper of the Ways was something he was very proud of. He had been chosen, called by the Labyrinth itself. That was not something one takes lightly.

He had become hard inside, and distant, shutting himself away from emotions.

Then he found her. Like a bolt of lightning, she shocked life into his dead heart. Her eyes looked into his in that darkened bedroom so many years ago, and he was lost, though it took a while to realize it.

Even as the woman child she was, standing there, defying him, denying his power, defeating him, the great Goblin King, he was putty in her small hands.

All those years he waited, peeking in on her dreams, hearing her thoughts, feeling her longing for him but never saying his name out loud.

Then she called his name in a dream, and she was his. She was bound to him now, to her place here.

Still he could not help be afraid, he felt the darkness out there, waiting to pounce. Waiting to take her away.

The rest of his kind had no idea the power that came with his position, that he had ways of sensing things no one else could. They did not know The Labyrinth was a being in and of itself, that the Ways were part of it, tentacles of magic that anchored it to the other worlds. They did not know the power it holds.

Something was out there, watching him, watching her. He knew very soon it would be coming.

Jareth heaved a sigh, then stood up and left his study, going in search of Sarah. He was determined to spend at least one more carefree night with his wife.

The next morning after breakfast Jareth was holding court in his throne room, taking care of some issues among his subjects, when an alarm was raised. Someone had transported into his kingdom.

" Guards!" The Goblin King called. Magically changing into his armor, he followed the trail of magic with his own, sensing it to be just outside the gates of The Labyrinth.

"Outside the main gates, go quickly." He sent them.

Minutes later they reappeared, holding a cloaked man between them, and dropping him at the feet of their king, swords at the ready.

"Report." Jareth said.

A guard stepped up and spoke. "Sire, he says he is the council's healer, Perryn. He claims he was the one who saved the queen's life."

"Rise, and take back your hood." the king said the man kneeled before him.

Perryn stood up, and did as the king asked. "Your Majesty I need to speak with you, urgently, in private. I apologize for my surprise visit, but I could tell no one of my quest."

Jareth observe the older man, narrowing his eyes. "Healer, I am not fond, to say the least, of having company just popping in, this is a well known policy of mine. For reasons I'm sure you must know, at this time, I am even more wary."

"Please My Lord, I meant no offense. It is that reason you speak that brought me here." Perryn said, shaking a bit. He could feel the controlled anger clearly, that The Goblin King was projecting towards him. "You are the only one I trust with the information I bear."

This made the king very curious, and a bit wary, but his anger lessened a bit. The man was a healer after all, the vows do not allow for harming others purposely, but with the danger lurking in the air, he trusted no one outside of his kingdom.

"Alright, then, healer, I will listen to what you have to say. I do hope you don't mind having your magic, and hands bound. Temporarily of course. Guards, please escort him to my private study and have Caolin keep him company. I will be there when I am done here."

Turning to the healer, he picked him up by his collar and pulled the man close in. "Know this healer, you better have a very good reason for being here unannounced. Any attempt at deception will be taken as a hostile act to which the consequences will be dire indeed. The only reason I am allowing you this courtesy, is because you saved the life of The Goblin Queen."

"Yes, My lord, I understand." Perryn said, as he was led away by the guards.

Jareth turned to another guard. and said softly. "Make sure the Queen stays occupied and away from my study. Have her friend Hoggle brought here to keep her company. Make sure no ones tells her of this until I have a chance to hear what the man has to say and decide how to proceed."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The guard fled to do as he was told.

Jareth closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. So it begins, he thought to himself.

He turned and walked to his study, to hear the healer out.

Sarah was reading in her study, but wondering what the clamor was all about, when Hoggle burst in. "Sarah! Hows you doin' girly?!" Just a little too loud.

Sarah jumped a little, then looked at her friend. "I'm fine Hoggle..what are you doing here? Did we have plans?"

"Umm well..I was just thinkin' of ya, so I came to sees ya!" He answered, suspiciously chipper, for Hoggle.

"Hoggle, what is going on, I heard some sort of alarm sound, and running, then everything was very quiet. Is something wrong? Where is His Majesty?" She prodded.

"Oh no, Yer Majesty, nothin' is wrong, just a minor row out in the city. The king is takin' care of it. Nothin' to worry yer head about."

Sarah could tell Hoggle was bluffing, covering up something. "Hoggle, did Jareth have you come here?"

Hoggled bowed his head a little. he hated lying to his friend, but he could not go against orders.

"No no no, of course not. Sarah, uhh..say..I'm sure mighty hungry, can yous order up some food?"

Sarah got up and walked over to Hoggle and knelt down. Hoggle noted how she reminded him of the king at times now.

"Hoggle..why are you lying to me?"

He stood up to his full height. "Sarah, please just lets get some food? okay? I haves ta do what I haves ta do, ya knows? We could go out ta the gardens, they is comin' along nicely."

She knew he was lying, and she knew Jareth had made him do it. No matter how much she loved the man the way he badgered the dwarf really annoyed her.

"Excuse me Hoggle, I have something to take care of." She stood up and stomped to the door and down the hall.

Hoggle lowered his head again. "That rat is going to send me ta the bog fer sure."

Arriving at the doors to Jareth's study, she saw it was guarded by 4 elite guards.

"Excuse me gentlemen, I need to speak with my husband." She demanded.

"I am sorry My Lady Queen, King's orders, no one allowed but himself and Caolin." One of the guards replied.

"What the HELL is going on?!" Sarah asked them. loud enough that Jareth heard her from inside and appeared behind her.

"Sarah.." He started.

"Jareth I HATE it when you do this. You keep me in the dark, you make poor Hoggle lie to me, when obviously there is SOMETHING going on here? I heard the alarms, and you are in your armor. I'm not stupid you know." She ground out.

"My Queen it nothing to be concerned about for you, of course you are not stupid, you know I do not think that at all. we merely had an intruder and I am interrogating said intruder to find out why he is here, then I will take appropriate action. I did not feel the need to alert you, I can take care of it." He said, trying to alleviate her concerns and send her calming energy through their bond.

Sarah glared at him. There was something more. She could feel it.

"Your Majesty, I know you can't out and out lie to me, but a lie of omission is still a lie."

He grabbed grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eye. "Sarah, you were almost killed a few weeks ago. I am doing what I think is necessary to keep that from happening again. I promise, When I am done here, we will talk. Until then, you absolutely not allowed to enter my study. I do not know what this person wants, or his plans. I am doing this for your own good. Don't defy me you infuriating woman."

Her eyes were like daggers now. "Fine, My Lord." She said in a sarcastic tone. "I will go back to my toys and games and just forget about it right? I am NOT a damn child Jareth. I may be considered young here in immortal time, but I am a GROWN woman. I am going back to my study. By the way, quit torturing Hoggle, that pisses me off." She jerked herself out of his grip and marched off, fuming.

Jareth huffed, cursing to himself. "Same orders." he said to the guards, then disappeared.

Reappearing inside his his study, he went back to his desk and sat down studying the man huddled in the chair across from him.

"You have caused a great deal of strife within my kingdom, healer." He said to the man.

The man glanced up, noticing The Goblin King's irritated expression.

"I..I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I really am, it was not my intention."

Caolin, standing silently by then chimed in. "Maybe we should get to the reason he came here in the first place, Sire."

Jareth stood up, and sat on the edge of his desk looking down upon the man.. "Yes, healer, regale us with your fascinating information." He stated, eyebrow raised, smirking.

"My Lord, it's the..the.."he stumbled over his words, intimidated by the kings presence. He took a breath, trying to calm down. "The magic, I mean, the forbidden magic used to poison The Goblin Queen, I have found it's origins, not who exactly, but where."

The King leaned in, placing his hand upon the chair. eyes narrowed. "Tell me, healer." He said quietly, but with more ire than anyone could fathom. "Tell me so I may go in search of them and rip them into a million pieces."

"The Dead Kingdom, Your Majesty. It''s evil magic from The Dead Kingdom." Perryn's word rushed out in one breath.  
Jareth sat up then, shocked at these words. His eyes met Caolin's whose eyes were as wide as his probably were.

"How do you know this?" Jareth asked.

"I went there, I know the way, I am.."he looked up and met the king's eyes. "I was born there, Your Majesty, before..before.. everything."

Jareth picked up the man from the chair "And you live? How is this possible?! I sense no darkness in you!"

Caolin moved behind the king. "My Lord, there were refugees, a small number were able to flee before they were taken over by the shadow magic."

Jareth turned and glanced at his assistant. "Of course. Tell me Perryn, are you one of these refugees?"

Perryn was openly trembling in The Goblin King's grip now "Yes, I..I mean my family and myself and a few others escaped shortly before the armies arrived. I was healer there, in a village near the boundary to the Elf kingdom."

"Who were these others?" Jareth asked suspicious of them all. He sat the man back down, for the moment.

"My wife, my son, both dead now. They died not long after, along with the dozen or so from my village. The shadow magic didn't kill them but, they were poisoned by one of the outsiders with iron I think. There were a group of half a dozen or so that I did not know from our lands, that then disappeared. I survived because I was hunting for food, when I came back everyone was dead or gone.

"I made my way to the Elf Kingdom proper and asked for refuge. I endured imprisonment and testing for many years before I was pronounced untouched by the shadow magic. Then I was finally able to work again. Eventually earning my position for the council."

Jareth turned and walked back behind his desk fear twisting his gut. If Sarah was infested...no. She had shown no signs of it. By now she would be like the ones he saw, back in that place. "Is this shadow magic? "

"No your Majesty it's not, not the magic that infested most of my people. It is still forbidden, and a working that certainly was created at the hands of..of them, but the shadow magic can only be worked on the soil of my homeland. It can infest others, and can be carried like a virus, but cannot be created anywhere else. This was a fairly straightforward poisoning. I am not certain Sire, if it was meant to kill her, I suspect it was created to test her strength, although I cannot be sure."

"Strength for what?" The Goblin King asked him.

"I do not know any more than what I have told you, My Lord. It took me a while to find the portal I could get through. Once there, well it was a bit of a shock. Everything is black. I made my way to the remains of the castle. There were signs someone has been there recently. 2 lower floors and the dungeons remain. I saw no one but, there were remains of food, candles, things scattered about. I did not touch anything for fear I would be detected. As soon as I confirmed my suspicions, I fled. Then worked my way here. I first suspected when I removed the magic from your wife's body, but had to be sure what I thought I was feeling, was true."

The king was angrier than he had ever been, but he managed to show a calm face. "You suspected The Dead Kingdom held the origins of that evil enchantment, and you did not tell me then?"

Perryn was scared. He knew this man's history, his reputation, no one crossed The Goblin King and remained unscathed. "Sire I was not certain, I swear it, but it had the feel of coming from one of my people. They say there was a book that the royal family kept that held all the magic they created and used. If it survived anyone could use it if they were strong enough, and it could possibly have the same feel in the weave, I am just not sure. I did not want alarm you or your young Queen."

"And you have told no one else?" Jareth asked him.

"No, Your Majesty, this is the first time any of this has left my lips." He swore and fell to his knees in fealty.

"Stand up, healer." the king said. "I sense no deception in you, therefore do not believe I have a reason to end your life, consider this your reward for saving the life of my Queen. However, I must require you to stay here as my..guest, until further notice. You will be assigned a guest suite and be provided all basic necessities including food and fresh clothing, but you will be required to keep your magic bound and have guards stationed outside all doors to your rooms. Will that be a problem?"

"No, Your Majesty, I understand. The life of The Goblin Queen could be at stake, you must do what is necessary. As I did what was necessary to honor my place as a protector of life." The healer told him.

The Goblin King smirked at him "An honorable quest, at that, Perryn. One more thing, stay away from my wife. You will not leave your rooms unless requested to do so by attempt to contact her will be taken as an act of hostility, and..healer..that would be unwise. I am a fair man, but my wrath is cruel, and swift."

"Yes, My Lord." The healer agreed. He liked his head where it was and deigned to keep it there.

The king turned to Caolin. "Have him taken to a guest room in the wing farthest away from my rooms. Make sure he gets a meal, clothing, and a bath, and assign 4 guards to watch all all entrances to the rooms."

Caolin bowed. "It will be done, Sire."

With that The Goblin King turned and left, readying himself to deal with the Queen's wrath. Thinking upon all the healer had told him, worried that his beloved Sarah was now in real danger from a foe he thought long dead.

With much dread, he also knew eventually, he would have to go back there, and face his past.

Sarah was waiting for Jareth to come back, and her anger had only increased as she had been waiting. " He comes to ME, he wanted me to come here, then he keeps me on a fucking pedestal like I'm some damn doll he takes out to play with? Oh hell no! He had to know I was NOT a pushover! Arrgh! Arrogant, pompous ass! How can you love someone and want to beat the crap out them at the same time!" Then she let out a string of profanity that would make even those most hardened sailor blush.

"Lovely language, my dear wife. I do so love your dirty mouth, except maybe when it's ire is directed at me." Jareth said from behind her sarcastically.

Sarah jumped. "Crap you scared me! What the hell Jareth?"

"You were so concentrated on cursing me, you did not notice I was here." He said.

She turned and looked at him. No longer in his armor as he had magicked it away before he entered. He was thinking, by the look in her eye, he should have kept it on.

"So, are you planning to, as you said, "beat the crap out of me" now? I warn you I am quite formidable. I may even employ my crop." He told her, giving her that smirk, trying to alleviate the tension.

Sarah took a few deep breaths trying to calm down, she knew she was unreasonably angry, but she did have a good reason to confront him she thought.

"Jareth, please. NOT in the mood. Look, this, all this subterfuge has got to stop. I realize, I am young in the term of being one of your kind, I have a lot of stuff I need to learn, about this world, about magic, and everything here. How everything works. The history of this place.  
I keep trying to drum into your thick kingly head though, I am a grownup. Haven't I handled everything that has been thrown at me here? Have you seen me freak out about anything other than first, when I was poisoned, and second, when you drive me crazy trying to keep things from me? No, you have not, I have taken everything in stride, learning to go with the flow, accepting what it is to be here."

She walked to stand in front of her husband. "You have to let me in Jareth, you can't keep shutting me out. Trying to keep all the baddies away from me, trying to make my life all sweetness and light. My world had just as much evil, awful horrible stuff going on as here, and I learned to deal with it."

She paused for a moment, then continued, in a soft voice."Give me a chance to deal with this. Let me be your wife, your mate, the other half of this team. I can help, that is what I'm here for, to be your partner in good and bad times, not just a playmate for you." Sarah pleaded with him. standing close, grabbing his hands and looking into his eyes.

Jareth bowed his head, staring at her small hands. He knew her words were true, but what if something happened to her? Once again that fear of losing the only person he truly loved, could ever love, twisted a knife into his belly.

"Sarah, I..I don't know what to say. Part of me wants all those things too...but the other parts of me can't...I mean I've never had anyone to.." He looked down at her face, at a loss.

"To what Jareth, be your partner in all things?" Sarah softly asked him. "Jareth please, open up, let me in. You have no problem telling me how much you love me 20 times a day, showering me praise and affection, why can't you tell me anything else of what you are feeling? If this is the way it's going to be, we are going to end up miserable with each other. We have to be able to be completely honest with each other, if no one else."

The king's lips became a thin line, and a fire ignited in his eyes, he gripped her shoulder and shook her lightly. "I'm frightened Sarah!" He bellowed. "The very thought that someone somewhere is out there planning on trying to take you away from me, rips my soul to sheds every time I think of it! Then that very fear frightens me even more!

His gripped tightened. "I am NOT a man who fears things Sarah, or people, or a fight or even dying. I CAUSE fear, I make them all fear ME. This fear is eating me alive. Damn it woman, what do you want from me!"

Sarah listened to him, stared at him eyes wide. Her anger slipping away, tearing pricking the corners of her eyes.

"My husband, please, let me share that burden. I am fine, will be fine, I swear it. No matter what happens. I am afraid too, but not because of others. Let them come, we will take them on as one, as we are supposed to do. I am afraid maybe I shouldn't have come here, because I've made you feel this way. Love is supposed to be strength, not weakness. Let's be strong for each other, not weak." Tears began to flow freely down her face.

Jareth reached up and ran his fingers through her dark hair, then wiped the tears from her face. "You belong here, please do not think you made a mistake. You did not, nor did I in bringing you here. This is all...so very new, for both of us."

He placed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes.

"Sarah, I have been a cruel man, in many ways, many times over. I have done things I do not like to speak of. Not because I enjoyed them, but because they had to be done, so I took it upon myself to be that man. The one who took those unpleasant tasks on to prevent others from having to do so. All those years ago, before I was a king, in that war, I had to do awful distasteful things."

Jareth was quiet for a few minutes, building up to what he was going to say next.

"The shadow magic that we were fighting, it was like a virus, infecting person after person indiscriminately, eating their souls. They looked like women, children, but their eyes were black and they spewed dark mist. I slayed them all where they stood Sarah. We had to take their heads, then run iron blades through their hearts. They would hiss and thrash as they died, cursing us in lilting innocent voices, even though they would have relished in killing us and taking our souls with them. Then we could not even give those broken bodies a decent burial rite. We had to burn them all to dust, every living thing there. The shadow would have taken us all eventually, if I had not done these things. It was the children that...it was almost to much to bear. Many didn't."

Sarah was speechless at all Jareth had just told her. She had no idea. This is the thing that no one would speak of, and now she knew why.

"Jareth, remember when you said you would never judge me on my past? Well, I am now extending you the same courtesy. Those are horrible things Your Majesty, I will say that. I can't imagine such horrors, nor do I particularly want to. However, you said you did what you had to do to protect the rest of your people, and I believe you. Believe or not, I get it. Cruelty is sometimes a necessary thing. It's part of life, of nature. If this happened again, I would abhor it, but I would still support you doing your duty to save others. And, honestly, if necessary I would be right beside you, being just as cruel. You are no longer in this alone."

She pulled away then, looking into his blue eyes. "Whatever is out there, we will defeat it, as a team, and as a people. This whole kingdom is behind you. Even Hoggle told me he thought you were the best king they have ever had, no matter how much you like annoy him. Use that as your strength, when you feel weak or fearful."

Jareth watched her for a moment, then yanked her roughly to him, taking her mouth with his, his tongue sliding against hers.  
After a moment, he pulled away.

"You and your cruel eyes, my love, I should have known and given you the benefit of the doubt. You are truly my match."

Sarah smirked at him. "Yes, you should have. I don't want to be on a pedestal, I want to be next to you. please, no more keeping things from me. Trust in me. I trust in you."

Jareth sighed, stepping back. "Then I suppose we have a guest you should meet. His magic is bound so I suppose you are safe."

"Then please, introduce me to our guest, My Lord." Sarah said.

She took his hand, and they left the room together, Goblin King and Queen, a unified force.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

3,132 years ago, there existed a kingdom in the underground realm called The Golden Kingdom.

It's people were peaceful, and prosperous. It's King and Queen, Vergas and Raele, were hailed as the greatest monarchs in the realm. They were blessed with 3 sons, Vergas the 2nd, Virgilian, Vardel and a daughter, Vardel's twin, Vaile. It is said the beauty of the royal family was beyond measure even among their kind. Their people worshipped them and looked upon them as gods.

When it was discovered Raele was to bear a 5th child, the kingdom rejoiced. Immortals blessed with two children were considered fertile, but 5 was unheard of. To them this was a sign that they were chosen people.

The 5th child was born, but this was different. He was born early, and Raele had labor that was so long she nearly died. They called him Vergul, but immediately upon his birth the midwives insisted he be destroyed. He was deformed, and ugly, so unlike the rest of the children. He was hidden away, in a tower, the only visitor besides nurses, was his mother. She, being a good mother, loved him as she did the others, but his father refused to look at him or have him in his presence. She called all the mages in the realm to find a way to change her gentle homely child into one who could be accepted by his father.

After all immortal mages had tried, and failed to find a way, one rainy night, the queen received a visitor. A night troll magician. She knew from experience that to trust a night troll was never a good idea, but she was willing to try anything. The troll performed his magic on the boy, and low and behold, he was changed to a beautiful golden child, like his siblings. She paid the troll whatever riches he wanted and presented her boy to his family, who celebrated for days, the return of the youngest member of their family.

They did not know, the beautiful boy was NOT their child. The troll had stolen that boy's soul, and left behind an empty vessel filled with evil magic. This evilness fed upon itself as the beautiful child grew.

The entity it became began to feed upon the others in the family, until they were slowly becoming like him. Evil, and twisted.

They practiced dark magic, creating their own form of it over time, which was loosed upon their people to feed off of, and like a virus, it spread. As time went on, over 100 years, the blackness took over, and The Golden Kingdom began reigning terror upon it's neighbors.

Eventually, the other kingdoms within the realm knew something had to be done. Armies were called up, magic users far and wide were recruited to fight the darkness. One particularly strong young user, Jareth, became a leader among the immortal armies. It is said, he was the one who took the head of King Vergas from it's shoulders, and he was the one who formulated the plan to turn the kingdom to black dust, by combining the magic of all the underground, sealing the kingdom, and burning every living thing within it. The shadow magic was destroyed, the ways to get in sealed and obscured.

So The Golden Kingdom was no more, now called The Dead Kingdom, it is forbidden to speak of it, but it is still whispered about as a cautionary tale.

What those who sealed the entrances did not know, is that some people escaped. One, a royal disguised as a commoner, and the carrying book of magic the family had created over their years of practice. They also did not know, those few that escaped had the ability to find the one way in that was left. So the evil is not dead, it is merely waiting for the opportunity to strike. It carries with it a prophecy, spoken by Golden Queen Raele, under trance, in her last days.

_In little more than 3,000 years  
A king will hear a mortal's tears  
Jeweled eyes of green,  
__Will take his heart  
__They will come together  
__After years apart_  
A vessel for the power, she will be  
The green eyed one is the key  
The great maze has a power not yet seen  
The dead shall rise  
For the mortal queen.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The healer Perryn was sitting on his bed in his assigned rooms in the Castle Beyond the Goblin City. Trying to think of something other that The Goblin King not taking his life. He know he did what was necessary, regardless of the consequences.  
He couldn't really blame the man, he understood how rare it was to really be in love in this world. He had loved his wife and son, their loss was a pain he still felt even though they had been dust nearly 3,000 years.

He had heard the rumors that the great Goblin King had had his heart stolen by a young mortal girl, it seemed impossible to believe, but he had seen it. Weeks ago when the girl had been poisoned, and in the ferocity this very day, burning within the king's eyes. He would kill anyone who even thought of laying an unkind finger on his wife.

The healer knew beforehand there was a good possibility his life would be forfeit no matter how this turned out, but it was either his life or many many others. A healer's vows are clear. He knew a king's were too.

At least he was able to bathe and change, and even given a decent meal at lunchtime, and the bed was comfortable. He tried to sleep but to no avail. There were a few books in the room, but he could not concentrate long enough to read them.

So now, he waits.

A bit later 2 guards entered the room follow by the man Caolin.

"Healer Perryn, I trust the accommodations are to your liking?" Caolin asked in a formal tone.

"Yes, they are very nice, it is much appreciated, the Goblin King is most generous." Perryn said.

"Very good healer. I bring you an invitation from the Goblin King and his Queen, to join them for the evening meal, do you accept?"

Perryn knew this was a veiled command. He had dealt with royals for over 1000 years now, working for the council. He was surprised that the Queen would be present.

"I would be honored and humbled to join them, Sir."

Caolin turned and waved his hand, a servant entered with a more formal set of clothing. "His Majesty has ordered you be brought proper clothing to dine in, and looks forward to you joining him and the Lady Sarah. The Goblin Queen also wishes to convey her desire to meet with you as well, she is looking forward to it."

"Thank you, Sir, The Queen is most kind." the healer told him. "May I ask you something?"

"Certainly" Caolin answered.

"I am wondering, I thought I was forbidden to talk to the Queen, what has changed?"

Caolin's mouth twitched, having a good idea what had transpired, but knowing he wasn't to speak of it. "It is not my place to speculate. All I can tell you is His Majesty has changed his mind."

"Thank you." Perryn said.

Caolin said one last thing before leaving. "The guards will escort you in one hour to the dining hall. be ready. Good evening Healer Perryn."

"Good evening sir." Perryn bowed as the other man left and the guards followed

Perryn sat back down. Well now this is an interesting development. he though to himself. I must try to look my best then, to finally meet this legendary Lady Sarah, well without having her be unconscious, anyway.

An hour later Perryn was escorted to the dining hall. As he entered he saw the Goblin King standing with his Queen and she was stunning. Slender but curvy, coming to the king's shoulder in height, with waist length black hair. She was not wearing the usual underground fashion of a flowing dress, like he had seen her in at the Council Hall, but clad in black leather breeches, boots and jacket like her husband, and a corset type vest underneath in a burgundy red, laced up to bring out her narrow waist, with the jacket flowing down the back into a skirt-like tail to the floor.

Most especially startling were her large green eyes, sparkling and kind. This was a woman unlike any he had ever known, and he knew why The Goblin King was so fiercely protective of her, `even bound as he was, he could feel her magic, her presence, as soon as he entered, strong and warm.

Jareth knew what an impression Sarah would make, as he himself felt the same way when first laying eyes on her as a girl. She had started wearing breeches for training, but she had found she preferred them to dresses. Of course, when attending Council or visiting other kingdoms, she knew she would have to resort to the dresses again, but here in her home, she could dress how she chose, and he wholeheartedly approved, as she looked spectacular in breeches.

Sarah felt the mans shock when he saw her, she knew visitors would be unused to seeing women in the clothes she wore, but she insisted on comfort over tradition for herself. Besides, if she needed to fight, dresses would get in the way.

Jareth stepped forward as the guards escorted the man to Sarah and himself, as he got close they stopped, and the healer dropped to one knee.

"Your Majesties, I am honored and humbled that you extended me an invitation to dine with you both."

"You may rise, Healer Perryn." Jareth said to him. "I present to you The Goblin Queen, the Lady Sarah."

Sarah stepped forward and took his hand with both of hers. "It is wonderful to meet you Healer Perryn, may I give you my extreme gratitude for saving my life."

Perryn's mouth dropped open at her sweet melodious voice, and that she taken his hand.

"My Lady, it is my duty and calling to preserve life. May I say you are absolutely lovely Your Majesty. Green eyes are incredibly rare in this world."

She smiled at him, a genuine smile, not the cold fake smile of most immortals. She also blushed a little.

"Oh thank you Healer Perryn, that is very sweet of you to say!"

Perryn could see how this woman had captured The Goblin King's heart, for she had captured his now too with her genuine sweetness.

Sarah let go of his hands and The Goblin King took her arm and said to the healer. "Let us be seated My Queen, Perryn. The cook has prepared quite a feast from what I hear."

Jareth pulled out a chair for Sarah, who said as she sat down."Good I'm starving! I missed lunch today for some reason." She gave her husband a knowing look.

Jareth pointedly ignored her look, and gestured to a chair on the other side of him. "Please Healer, have a seat."

Perryn did as he was told. The King then took his place at the head of the table.

Several servants brought out plates of food to each of them, all laden with steaming array of meat and vegetables, with bread. Another came and filled goblets with water and/or wine.

Th healer waited for the King to start as was the tradition, but the king told him. "Please enjoy Healer, our cooks are quite skilled. This is an informal occasion."

Sarah gave him a warm smile. "Please, It really is delicious. I also know for a fact we have a wonderful cake for dessert, Both the King and myself have a bit of a sweet tooth."

The healer dug in, it was wonderful. While he enjoyed the soup and bread provided earlier, this was scrumptious. It had been weeks since he had such a meal.

"So Perryn, my husband tells me you know who poisoned me." The Queen stated.

The king was silent, letting his wife ask what she chose to ask.

Perryn sat down his fork " Yes, My lady, I mean I don't know who exactly, but I believe I know the source."

He told her all he knew, the same information he told the Goblin King earlier, she listened silently as he told his tale.

"So someone who escaped this dead kingdom, is after me? That is quite curious don't you think? I mean, Even if someone doesn't like my being here, or my being queen, what do I have to do with a place that has been dead for thousands of years?" She wondered to both the healer and Jareth.

The king answered. "Therein lies the mystery, Sarah. we basically have our hands tied now, until someone shows their hand. The only other option is to make the trek myself, which it may come down to. What do you think, Healer?"

Perryn paused. " My Lord, I do not know if that would be wise at this moment, they did not detect my presence, seemingly, but you are the strongest magic user here. Surely they will know you are there as soon as you step through the portal."

Jareth got a feral gleam in his eye. "No worry. I can take on any one of them. I have no plans on hiding or cowering anyway."  
The healer gulped as he drank his wine. He had a feeling if the king went, he would be going with him.

The rest of the meal was uneventful, Jareth mostly stayed quiet, while Sarah asked Perryn questions about The Dead Kingdom and it's history, then also what being a healer was like.

After it was finished, The guards escorted the man back to his quarters. As he changed for bed, he contemplated his evening, and his meeting with the Lady Sarah.

I truly pray to the gods, that she survives whatever plans the unknown ones have for her, he thought.

He went to be bed, and finally slept.

Meanwhile Jareth and Sarah ad returned to their rooms.

"Well, my love, what do you think?" Jareth asked.

Sarah, who had been removing her boots, paused. "I certainly don't believe there is any danger from the man, Jareth, he is obviously quite scared of you."

That is a good thing, Sarah. The more scared he is of me, the safer you are." Jareth said, stripping off his jacket and shirt, and kicked off his boots.

Sarah watched him, enjoying the view. "My dear husband, I don't thing there is a thing to fear from him regardless. He reminds me of my dad, sort of. Doing what is right no matter what the consequences. I found him very nice."

Jareth turned and looked at her. " Wife, you must be wary of even the nicest here, my kind, now your kind as well, are very good actors."

Sarah approached him, putting her arms around his waist. "Even you?" she said, smiling up at him.

Jareth put his arms around her and kissed her softly. "Oh most especially me, my love. My actions should always be suspect. When it comes to you, I will always have an ulterior motive."

"Well then, now what could that be?" She asked, wiggling her eyebrows at him.

She put her arms around his neck a pulled him into a searing kiss. "I think I have a few ulterior motives myself."

Sarah pushed him backwards until he was against the wall. Kissing him as the went, and caressing his chest.

Jareth felt his back hit the wall. "What *are* you up to now precious?"

Sarah said nothing, just continued running her hands over him, as she licked and nibbled at his skin. Not breaking contact, she removed her jacket to make movement easier.

She scratched her nails lightly over his chest and stomach, stimulating his nerves.

Jareth leaned his head back against the wall and moaned. "gods, woman. what you do to me."

Sarah grinned up at him. "Oh I'm just beginning."

She took his small nipples in her mouth, one at a time, sucking and biting them, driving him to distraction. Reaching down, she undid the fastenings on his pants, and pushed them down. He was already fully hard from her actions, his cock sprang forth into her hand. Sarah slipped to her knees, licking his stomach, while moving her hand up and down on him gently, make his hips sway backwards and forwards.

He puts his hands on her shoulders, as his knees were suddenly very weak. The woman knew just how to work him.

Sarah ran her fingers over the tip of him, knowing just where his most sensitive spots were. He jerked forward, groaning her name.

She gazed up at her husband, his heads back, his eyes closed. She still marveled at how beautiful he was, especially when she was pleasuring him.

She kissed just the tip of his shaft, then sucked softly, licking the drops of his fluid present there. He tasted amazing. She took more of him into her mouth, swirling her tongue around him, scraping her teeth along the underside, quietly humming to add vibrations.

Jareth buried his hand in her dark hair guiding her head up and down, as she continued licking and sucking and nibbling at him.  
Sarah stopped sucking, and lifting his cock up, started licking his sack, taking one side, then the other, and sucking softly. Then went back and took him into her mouth again, sucking him into her mouth as far as she could.

Jareth moaned "Sarah, I'm..oh damn woman you make me crazy.." Then he felt his muscles tighten. "Gods!" He cried out as he released himself into her mouth.

Sarah, took all of it in ,swallowing him down, reveling in the pleasure she could provide him, how she made him feel. She felt him relax, but he remained semi-hard. She let him slip from her mouth and stood up slowly.

"I most definitely have ulterior motives too, Your Majesty." She said, her voice husky with need.

Jareth picked her up and switched places, pinning her against the wall, taking her mouth with his, biting her lips, sucking her tongue. Her legs spread as he pushed against her, she wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling him growing hard again. He shimmied out of his pants while pressed her into the wall, kicking them to the side.  
Jareth licked and bit at her neck, wrestling with the laces on her corset top with his fingers, growling.  
"Blast! This is taking to long." He breathed, and ripped the laces apart, throwing her top onto the floor. Finding her breasts with his hands, he pulled and fondled them until her nipples were stiff and erect, then roughiy sucked and bit each one.

Sarah gasped. "Oh god Jareth, yes, just like that."

Jareth smiled against her skin. "So, my little flower wants it rough does she?" He said pulling back and tilting her face to meet his gaze.

Desire was flooding Sarah's veins. immortals had a high sex drive by nature, and hers was kicking in full strength. "Get these damn pants off me, before I explode." she told Jareth.

He sat her legs down and kneeled, pulling her pants with him. Noticing she wore nothing underneath. ""You naughty naughty girl..no knickers?" He lifted each leg, pulling the garment completely off then throwing them to the side. He took her naked form in, becoming even harder a the sight of her. He could see how wet she was, moisture coating her inner thighs. Her sweet scent flooding his senses. He ran his long fingers up and down her legs, while she squirmed under his touch.

Jareth buried his face between her thighs, tasty her musky juices, spreading her slit apart with his tongue and sucking on her hard bud, make every nerve in her body fee like it was on fire. Then licking her wet thighs. She would always be ambrosia to him.

He moved up and pressed his mouth to her belly, licking her bellybutton, working his way up much to her consternation.

As her stood, he picked her legs up and wrapped them once more around his their pressed bare bodies together, feeling his hardness rubbing against her wet center. He moved his hand down between them, rubbing her clit, then sliding 2 fingers inside her hard, hitting that spot inside that made her tremble and shake.

"Tell me what you want, precious." He growled into her ear, adding another finger.

Sarah was rapidly headed towards oblivion, Jareth slamming his fingers in and out of her. She was trying to speak but all that came out was a moan. Trying to catch her breath, she spoke again.

" Ahhh...Jareth, please, inside me, I need you now...Oh!"

He pulled his fingers out and replaced it with his cock, sheathing himself up to the hilt. Sarah cried out with the satisfaction of being completely filled with him.

Jareth grasped her behind, and pumped hard into her, slamming her into the wall. Together they writhed and pushed together, in a rapid climb to the height of pleasure that only they could give to each other.

Sarah buried her face into his neck, biting down hard as she hit her peak, drawing blood, leaving a mark. Then cried out his name.

Jareth felt the slight twinge of pain when she bit, but it only drove him harder. He felt his second, more intense orgasm of the night quickly build as her drove as hard as he could into his wife.

Then he let go, his fluids coming in torrents inside her, her body clenching and pulling his seed out of him and into her.

Sarah's legs slipped down, Jareth still pressing her into the wall, his body sliding out of hers.

She reached up and pushed his damp hair away from his face, as they gazed into one another's eyes. both breathing heavily.

So..what do you think of my motives, Your Majesty?" she asked, smiling at him.

He kissed her forehead, then her lips. "I think I approve." He said.

He picked her up and went to the bed, laying them both down.

"Have a told you this evening how fetching you looked?"

She laughed. "Umm..naked, or clothed?"

He grinned. "I must be honest, I do prefer you naked, but I meant your rather sexy outfit you came up with. It was very tempting."

"That was the idea, my love." She said. "To tempt you."

"You always tempt me Sarah, I do believe it will always be this way for me. Every time I look at you I want you under me like this." He told her.

What a coincidence" She teased. "Every time I look at you, I want you under me."

Jareth, said, "no matter, either way, I win."

The laughed together, Jareth rolling to his back and taking her with him to lay across him.

"Sarah, I have something I must tell you, I neglected to earlier." He said in a serious tone.

She pulled back. "What is it?"

"My family is coming to visit, in 2 days, I received a message before dinner." He sighed, not looking forward to it at all.

She sat up. "What? Your whole family is coming here? In 2 days?"

Jareth felt her anxiety start to bloom. "It will be fine, Sarah. They just didn't get to spend much time with you when we went to the Council, so now they insist on coming here to get to know you."

"This ought to be fun." Sarah said sarcastically.

"They are your family too now, my love, and while they are not the warmest group of people, they will be loyal to you as you are bound to me. At least Jewel will be here, you and she can enjoy each other's company. She rather took to you."

Sarah sighed, knowing she had to get to know them sooner or later. "Do they come here often?"

"Well they were her briefly when you were introduced, but just stayed for your introduction and went home. They were trying to respect that we wanted some alone time." Jareth said.

Sarah remembered seeing some immortals in the crowd that day, they must have been Jareth's family. She was so nervous she didn't even pay close attention.

"Alright, Jareth, well, what do I need to do?"

"Not a thing" He said to her. "I already informed the staff to prepare their rooms, they will only be here a few days, love. It will be fine. You may have to revert to wearing dresses for a few days, just to save the argument with my mother. She is very..proper, you might say."

"Well, I guess we will just be prepared for anything." Sarah remarked, feeling sleepiness start to kick in. It had been an emotional roller coaster of a day.

Sarah turned on her side, and Jareth pressed himself against her back, wrapping his arms aroundher and lay his cheek against hers.

"Whatever happens, we will face it together, my queen." He said, kissing her on her cheek.

They drifted off to sleep together, content, for the time being.

The next 2 days were a flurry of activity, getting the castle prepared for such important company. The goblins knew to behave themselves, as much as goblins could, when the King's family was present.

There was also the matter of Perryn's presence. All agreed it would be best if no one, other than those that were already aware, of his true reason for being there. A cover story was created that he was there to check on Sarah after her poisoning, and Jareth insisted he stay for a few weeks to make sure she was all clear.

Sherryana spent a fair amount of time going over with Sarah, manners and what was expected of her when hosting the king's family. She was truly grateful for her assistant's presence in times like these. The women had become great friends as well. It was odd, Sarah thought, she hadn't had any girlfriends, really since high school, and Sherryana and herself seemed to click so easily.

Sarah also knew Caolin had been taking Sherryana on walks through the gardens and that they had been lunching together often. She had never been the matchmaking sort, but she knew they were very fond of each other, so she had hopes things may progress further for them, so they could find happiness together.

Finally the time came, and Jareth and Sarah stood in the throne room waiting for the guards to escort Jareth's family from the entrance to the castle.

As they appeared, both Sarah and Jareth tensed. Jareth in his formal armor and Sarah in her blue dress from the day she was introduced to her subjects, they made a regal, beautiful pair.

Jareth stepped forward, with Sarah on his arm.

"Welcome Father, Mother, sisters, and brothers in law." He stopped and noticed another with them. His eyes narrowed, but he tried to sound cordial. "And who did you bring with you?"

Jastiel, Jareth's father spoke. "This is Healer Perryn's aide and apprentice, Deela. When you informed us that he was here, Deela was checking up Justinia who has been feeling ill. She also will attending to Justinia, who is with child. Your sister would like a female attending to her. The healer Naruag is taking cares of things at Talystra, so Deela was able to join us. She also would like to speak with Perryn, as she is apprenticed to him."

Jareth let out a sigh. "Very well Father. I will have another room made up."

He was not happy at having yet another uninvited guest, but he could hardly deny his sister having proper care.

He led Sarah forward. "Sarah, may I present to you, once again, my family. My father and mother Jastiel and Illiana, Duke and Duchess, My sister Jolena and her husband Ivan, My sister Justinia and her husband Vernon, and my youngest sister, Jewel, who truly is." He said, giving Jewel a small grin. "Congratulations, Justinia and Vernon, on your happy news."

Sarah bowed, then said with all the sweetness she could "It's is wonderful to see you all again. I look forward to spending time with you all and getting to know you. Please make yourselves at home." Each of the men took her hand and placed a polite kiss upon it, and the ladies all kissed her cheeks, except Jewel who gave her a giant hug, her eyes dancing.

When she got to Justinia she made a point of congratulating her. " A baby? Oh that is wonderful! I hope that we are blessed with a baby soon as well!"

She turned at looked at her husband who gave her a nod and smile of agreement, who then said "Yes, we are looking forward to the time when the fates allow us to be parents."

Jareth guided his wife, followed by his family, Caolin, and Sherryana to the formal dining hall where they had a lavish meal, while servants took all trunks and bags to the proper rooms.

Jareth also sent for Perryn to join them, so he could meet with his apprentice and find out what was going on in his absence.

After lunch everyone was taken to their rooms, and Sarah went back to her study with Sherryana to get some work done.

As Jareth walked his parents to their rooms, His mother asked "My dear son, isn't part of your wife's duties to show us to our rooms as well?"

Jareth sighed inwardly. Here we go. " Yes, mother, usually she would, but I asked her to let me do so, I spend so little time with you and Father these days."

"I see." Illiana said, not convinced.

Jareth turned to his father, having decided to see if there were any rumblings at Council. "Father, has anyone told you of any information about who poisoned my wife and why? How is the investigation coming along?"

Jastiel turned to his son. "Jareth, you know as well as I why it was done. There are certain factions of our society that are not happy, to say the least, you took a mortal girl, changed her, and made her not only a Queen, but A Keeper as well." If she was merely a Queen there would be disgruntlement but no serious threats. Keepers are sacred, only being allowed two at a time. You could have simply made her your Queen, you know. Remained the sole Keeper."

"Father, I am aware her being a Keeper was not necessary to be here with me." Jareth sternly answered his father. "I didn't even have to make her a Queen. She could have simply been my consort and bore my children. It would have perfectly acceptable. I did not want an "acceptable" life for her. She is my other half, my match, she was meant to be my wife, and Queen. She is a Keeper because she was called to it as much as I. You know The Labyrinth is not limited to this realm to seek out those it wants for it's own. She is a Keeper because no one else would do. As soon as she became Champion, she was destined for it."

"That may be, son, but does she yet understand what that means?" Jastiel asked.

"She does not know everything, yet, eventually she will. There are things even I do not know about The Labyrinth. After all, it has been here so long no one knows how old it is, who created it, or what it is was created for. At least in the beginning."

Jareth opened the doors to the rooms assigned to his parents, and guided them in.

"Sarah will be fine. She is strong, and smart, and magic is incredibly strong already. She will be as strong as I am within the year." Jareth told them. "Please I ask very little from you both. Take the time to get to know her. She gave up everything to be here with me, I would like it if you came to regard her as a daughter as much as your other daughters. Her parents are dead, her brother in the aboveground. I could command you as a King, but I would prefer not to have to command my family in such a way."

Illiana turned to her son. "Jareth, I can only say we will do our best. She is your wife and we shall show her the respect that such a position requires. Over time, maybe she will..adjust and be more like us. Easier to accept."

Jareth felt his irritation rising. "Mother, I pray she always retains that which makes her unique. That is what this kingdom needs. I warn you, if you do not accept her, you will lose me."

"Fine, Jareth." His mother said. "Consider her...accepted."

Jareth knew what she meant. She would tolerate Sarah's presence for his sake alone. "Father, Mother, I must leave you now. Please rest well, I will see you at dinner."

With that he left, practically stomping down the hall in frustration.

He checked to make sure his two older sisters and their husbands were settled, than went to seek out his youngest sister. She was not in her rooms, so he surmised she was out causing mischief.

When he found her, she was heading toward's Sarah's study, and almost there.

"Jareth!" She said, hugging him tight. "I was just looking for Sarah..Is the here in her study or did she go elsewhere?"

He hugged Jewel back, not able to resist his sisters affectionate action. "I believe so, Jewel. I was talking with Mother and Father. They seem to be determined to be as cold and indifferent to my wife, as they usually are to me."

Jewel gave him a sympathetic look. "Brother, they are who they are. They may never see her as anything more than a mortal interloper. Personally I think she is awesome." She grinned at him.

"Awesome? Jewel, you are all too easily influenced by my wife." He chuckled warmly at her use of human words.

Just then he heard something he had not heard in a long time. Someone just wished away a child.

"Jewel, I ask you to go to Sarah and tell her I have been called to perform my duties. I must go aboveground and fetch a child."

He sighed. It was rare these days, only once since Sarah's sojourn had it happened, why now of all times? Blasted humans!

Jewel frowned, she knew her brother never enjoyed this, and he never quite knew what kind of situation he was stepping into until he got there. "I will."

"She most likely heard the call too, but I don't know if she recognized it for what it is." He said, turning and disappearing, glad he was already in his formal armor.

Jewel knocked on the study door. "Come in." She heard a voice say.

Sarah was sitting behind her desk with an odd look on her face. "My Lady, Jar-His Majesty asked me to inform you he has been called to the aboveground to fetch a child."

Sarah took a deep breath and sighed. "Oh that's what that was. I thought I was going schizophrenic!" I didn't know I could hear it too. By the way, please call me Sarah and your brother Jareth, we are family, after all."

Jewel was puzzled at what "schizophrenic" was, but she let it pass. She could ask later. "Good, that makes things much more friendly. After all we are sisters now right?"

Sarah gave her a big smile. "Absolutely, Jewel. I would like that. So Jareth when aboveground? How long will he be gone?"

"Not long." Jewel replied. "I would think you would know." She teased.

Sarah giggled. "True, I guess I should. He has to do the old Big Scary Goblin King" routine, then come back with...oh no, someone's child." She realized. "I think maybe I should go meet him, he may need me. Let's go to the throne room and see what's going on."

Sarah and Jewel made their way to the throne room, where they heard singing, in what she knew to be the native language. Similar to Gaelic, but not quite. Sarah recognized Jareth's beautiful voice immediately, although she hadn't heard it since the first time she was here.

They stopped in the doorway and looked in. Jareth had a small bundle wrapped in a ratty blanket in his arms, softly singing and walking. Sarah though how odd it was, Jareth in his full Goblin King regalia, cradling a small child, what a contradiction.

"Jareth?" She asked softly. He turned and she could see sadness in his eyes. "What is it? Do we have a runner?"

The king said nothing for a moment. "No Sarah, we do not. Her mother was barely old enough to have her. Younger than even you were when you ran. Scared and homeless. She heard the story when she was a child, and took a chance that it might be real, rather than to try and care for the babe on her own. She told me she was raped by an uncle and her family kicked her out. Such a pity. I do not understand such cruelty to innocents."

Sarah walked over and took the baby from Jareth's arms and looked at her. She was met by a beautiful smiling face, caramel skin and chocolate eyes, with silky ringlets framing the infant's face."Oh Jareth, she is stunning." She sighed, and the baby girl was. "Jareth..what will happen to her?"

Jareth was enjoying watch Sarah hold the child, cuddling and cooing. He hoped they would have a babe soon. He noticed Jewel standing silently by, then backing out of the throne room leaving them alone.

"I will find her a home here, there are many many families waiting to adopt. The Kingdom of the Twilight Forest, I think. Duke and Duchess Devlin and Ophelia. This little one looks very much like the people of that kingdom, with those dark features. Eventually she will be one of our kind. As I have told you, children change as they grow. She will be happy there. They have wanted a child for a very long time. They are good people."

Sarah looked a little disappointed. He knew what she was thinking. "Sarah, you know we cannot keep her. Keepers are not allowed to keep the children unless there is nowhere else. Before you ask, there is always somewhere else. The only wished away children who do not leave this kingdom are the ones who do not live. They are interred here. We will have our own, my love, I swear."

Sarah had never thought of that before. "You mean, some do not live when you bring them?"

Jareth put his arms around Sarah, who was still holding the infant. and placed his chin atop her head. "All too often the children I bring here are too sick or injured to survive. Here they receive an honorable burial."

Sarah felt tears slipping down her cheeks. She couldn't even imagine it. She never even thought that not all wishers weren't just bratty babysitters tired of there duties. That there was a different story for every child, and some of those stories were unthinkable.

She sniffed and stepped back from her husband. "Well, I guess you should make sure she gets to her new family then. What happened to the girl..I mean this one's mother?"

"She took her dreams." Jareth answered. "The saddest thing was, her dreams were that she was never raped, never pregnant, and she was back with her family. That is where she is now. Safe, I hope. I added a little twist of my own for her beloved uncle to suffer a horrible accident that renders him impotent and infertile. I would have preferred castrated, disemboweled and beheaded, but I can only bend the rules so far."

Sarah smirked at him. "There is the fearsome Goblin King we know and love."

He smirked back. "I do have my moments."

He took the child from her and went to his study, where he called for his assistant.

"Caolin, please send word to The Kingdom of The Twilight Forest I will be there shortly to see the Duke and Duchess and bring them this babe."

Caolin bowed. "Yes My Lord, I must say she is a beauty. She will fit right in there." He then left to do as he was instructed.

Jareth conjured a cradle and laid the sleepy infant in it. It would take a few minutes to get the message through, and he needed to fill out the paperwork on the child. In less than an hour she would be with her new family. He touched the little one's cheek and smiled softly letting his mind wander into the future, and the thought of a little green eyed daughter of his own.

When the king returned it was long past dinner , having stayed to make sure the baby was settled. The Duke and Duchess were thrilled to have her, and insisted he stay and partake of their evening meal. He was tired and made his way to his offices to finish up his work for the day.

As he was working there was a light knock. "Yes?" He asked.

Jewel poked her head around the door. "Good evening brother. You missed dinner. Father and Mother are quite unhappy with you."

Rubbing his face with his hands, Jareth sighed. "I would imagine they are. Duty comes first, they know this. how did it go?"

Jewel walked over and sat down. "Sarah was bright, sweet and kind. They appreciated none of it, and we ladies will be having brunch tomorrow in the newly finished Queen's Garden. While you men will be out hunting or some such manly activity."

"I never agreed to that." Jareth stated.

"I know. Sarah kind of agreed to it for you. To appease the situation. I don't think she wanted to but Mother brought it up, and Sarah reluctantly agreed to it. She really is trying very hard. personally I think she is trying too hard. Let them stew. She should just be herself."

"I suppose have no choice." Jareth said. "I will also be having a talk with them about manipulating my wife knowing she is trying to be agreeable for me."

"Yes, Jareth, you really need to. Sometimes I wonder how you and I are related to them."

Jewel stood up, and walked to the door. She turned before going out. "Sarah went directly to your chambers after dinner. She said she didn't feel very well, was going to bathe and go to bed. Just thought I would let you know, so you can see to her."

Jareth sat up. "Sarah is sick?"

"Yes, I think she is sick of dealing with our parents. mainly." His sister said. "Good night, Jareth. Sleep well."

Good night sister." Jareth said softly. When she left, he looked down at the papers yet to be completed, and decided to finish them in the morning. They could wait, Sarah could not.

He made his way quickly to his and Sarah's rooms. When he went in, he found his wife sitting in her nightclothes, on the rug in front of the fire, staring into it. He noticed she was wearing the aboveground style nightclothes she had created, what she called "flannel pajamas." While the were a bit bulky for his tastes, he had to admit she looked quite adorable in them.

As her came in and closed the door, she looked up at him, a sad look on her face.

He went to her and knelt down. "Sarah? Jewel said you are not feeling well."

She turned to face him. "Your family hates me Jareth. Except Jewel who is a dream. I'm sorry. I kind of got you roped into something tomorrow, I was just trying to make peace, you know?"

Jareth removed his cloak and sat next to her on the rug. "It is fine my love. We usually have a small hunting trip when my father comes anyway. I just did not expect it tomorrow. He so loves the game birds that only live in the wilds of the forest here. I feel worse for you having to host a brunch with my mother and sisters, the twittering gossips that they are. They will come to accept you in time, Sarah. now, are you sure you are well? Do i need to have the healer come and check on you?"

Sarah smiled at him. Amused at the mighty Goblin King sitting crossed legged next to her on the floor in his armor.

"No, I used that mainly as an excuse. I think i'm just a bit emotionally exhausted from the day. Why don't you go bathe, and i will met you in bed."

He pulled her face to his and kissed her softly. "It's a deal, precious."

Sarah got up and got into bed, trying to get her mind to settle down, a little while later as she was dozing off, she felt Jareth's arms wrap around her, and as his warmth and scent enveloped her, she smiled as she fell asleep in her beloved's arms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
In another part of the castle:

Two figures met in a dark alcove undercover of night.

"Master, when do we make our move? We cannot wait much longer or we may be detected here. This is a very very dangerous place to be, right under The goblin king's nose." The first one said.

The other replied. "Patience, it will not be much longer. This is the safest place for us to be. He will never suspect we would be here in his own castle. The others will meet us at the ruins, they know what to do, to be ready at a moment's notice. Another 2-3 days at most. She is almost ready, and seems completely ignorant of her gifts Foolish man Jareth. His own fear of her knowledge of her full power is what gives us an advantage."

"What of the healer, Master? What do you think he is doing here? The other replied.

"I am not yet sure. But the old man is easily taken care of if he gets in our way. If necessary we take him with us when we leave, and dispatch him once we get to the castle ruins."

"Yes, Master, we will do what is necessary. I am yours to command."

The master smiled. "Of course you are, and soon everyone else will be too. Thanks to that mortal girl. I do believe the first trophy I will hang on my wall is the head of The Goblin King. It will be an especially sweet victory since it will be his own little wife that will give me the power to take it. now, go quickly, We must not remain here talking any longer."

"Yes, my Master, soon we will have it all."

They two figured parted and quickly fled to their own rooms. While all others in the castle slept blissfully unaware.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Jareth awoke the next morning he let Sarah sleep in. The day before had been rather trying for her, so he didn't wake her as he usually did.

He left a cup of coffee for her on the table, enchanting the cup so it was kept hot, then made his way to his offices to finish up the night before's work, so that he may have a free afternoon to take his Father and Brothers-in-law into the forest to hunt.

Caolin was already there, going through the days activities.

"Good day My Lord." He said as Jareth walked in.

"Hello Caolin, it is yet to be seen if it will be a good day or not, I'm afraid." He said as he went to his desk and sat down.

"What needs to be done today, Sire." Caolin asked him.

"Please make sure my bow and arrows are ready by 11am for the hunting trip into the forest, and send two guards to the armory to pick up 3 more sets for the others. I'm assuming Sherryana is making the brunch arrangements for the ladies?"

"As far as I know, My Lord, she is quite proficient so I am certain all will be properly taken care of." Caolin answered, handing the king some papers to sign regarding the previous day's adoption.

"Very good. Please send her a message to wake The Queen in another hour. Sarah was very tired last night so I wanted her to get a bit of extra sleep today."

"I will do that now, Your Majesty, I will walk down there myself and tell Sherryana of your instructions, it will only take a few minutes and I can send the guards to the armory on the same trip." his assistant replied, quickly leaving the room to carry out Jareth's commands.

As soon as Caolin was gone, Jareth threw down his pen and sighed. He wasn't looking forward to this hunt at all. Not that he didn't enjoy a good hunt, but an afternoon with his Father wherein he would have to hear more about why he should not have married Sarah sounded about as appealing as eating his boots.

"Ah well. Only a few more days and this visit will be over. Then we can get back to some amount of normalcy." He said to himself. Picking up his pen he began working in haste so he would be ready for the day. He hoped Sarah would have a more pleasant day today.  
An hour later Sherryana went to the King and Queen's chambers to wake Sarah, thankfully she was awake, albeit barely, and sitting at the table drinking the coffee her husband had left for her.

"Good morning My Lady!" She said trying to sound cheerful. She knew Sarah was having difficulties with the king's family.

"Good morning Sherryana." Sarah said, not quite as cheerful as her friend, but trying to smile. "I take it Jareth sent you here?"

"Yes My Lady, He wanted to let you sleep in today, but didn't want you to not have a proper amount of time to bathe and dress for your brunch." Sheerryana said, as she went to the queen's wardrobe and opened it. "Have you decided what to wear today? I will lay out your clothes to save some time for you."

Sherryana usually did not help Sarah dress, as Sarah preferred it that way, unless something needed lacing Sarah could not reach herself.

"Yes, the pale yellow day dress will be fine, thank you. I want to try and look cheery even if I don't feel cheery. My dad used to say, "fake it until you feel it" and boy am I going to be faking it today."

Sherryana smiled. "He sounds like he was a smart man."

"Yes, he was. He was lawyer. In the aboveground that is someone who represents people in court, either to get them out of trouble, or to prosecute those who cause trouble. In his case he preferred to help people in trouble. He was a good man. I miss him, especially on these types of days when I could use some sage advice." Sarah told the blonde, letting her mind drift to thoughts of her family.

Sherryana paused. "Your father was a sage as well.? I can find a reputable sage here if you like."

Sarah giggled. "I meant some wise advice. There the words are synonymous."

"Ahh I see Your Majesty." Not sure if she did. Sarah's aboveground way were confusing for her at times.

"He would probably just tell me to follow my instincts and believe in myself." She thought out loud.

Sherryana sat down across from the queen after she laid her clothes on the bed. "May I speak openly, My Lady?"

"Absolutely, Sherryana, you are not a servant to me, you know that. I mean, I know technically you are, but I prefer that we are friends over everything else." Sarah told her firmly. "Always feel free to speak openly to me, in all but the most formal of settings, and only refrain then because it would put you in a more awkward place than it would me. Personally I wouldn't care but I know it would put you in a place to have to explain yourself and if you should need o seek other employment it would make things difficult for you."

Sherryana knew what the queen said was correct. Most immortals preferred their servants silent unless spoken to.

"Yes, My Lady. What I wanted to say is, your father was right. You should not forget you are the  
Queen of this kingdom, only His Majesty has authority equal to yours. Do let let those...ladies.. intimidate you. I have watched you train and fight our strongest warriors. You need to channel that mentality in dealing with the others. You need not bend to their will. Stand firm in yours. Dealing with them is much like hand to hand combat. punch for punch, kick for kick. With words as just the king's family, but any and all fellow immortals who treat you with disdain. Hold your head up and make the see clearly exactly why the king chose you as his Queen.

"Most of us are an envious lot, Your Majesty. That is what most of their issues are, it comes down to, envy. You have his Majesty, and you have your subjects who will always stand with you. Including myself. In 100 years they will all be bragging to each other that they all knew you would be the best thing for the realm to come along in 1000 years. Most are also very fickle in that manner."

Sarah listened to her friend, knowing all she said was true. She really needed to suck it up, and not herself be intimidated by Jareth's family. She wanted them to like her, but she shouldn't have to wear herself trying. Either they would or they wouldn't. Regardless, she would be happy because she had a husband who adored her and would build a new family with him, if the other one did not want her.

"You are right, Sherrryana. I am tired of not being myself. You reminded me. After this brunch, would you tell my guards to meet me in the training room? I need to hit something, hard. Some good old fashioned exercise and sweat will make me feel better."  
The blonde smiled. She saw a fire ignite in the queen's eyes. "They will not know what hit them, My Lady, neither the guards, nor the ladies."

Sarah grinned back at her. "Nope, they won't. By the way, small change of wardrobe. Green jacket and boots, silver tunic and breeches, please. I need to bathe. Let us get ready to enter the fray. Oh, and Will you help me put my hair up when I am done?"  
"Of course, My Queen, you will be stunning." Sherryana told her, happy to see Sarah smile again.

At 11am, the ladies gathered around a lovely table that had been laid out in a shady spot in the garden. Illiana, Justinia, Jolena and Jewel, along with the healer's apprentice Della, with 2 servants standing by waiting as soon as the Goblin Queen and her aide arrived.

"Well" Illiana said to the rest. "It seems our hostess is a bit late." Her voice condescending.

"Mother, please. She said she wasn't feeling well last night, give her a few minutes" Jewel implored to her mother.

Just then a servant came forward. "All rise, for Her Majesty, The Goblin Queen, The Lady Sarah."

The ladies all slowly stood, as this type of entrance was unexpected from the girl.

Sarah and her assistant appeared, walking at a leisurely pace.

"Good Day Ladies, I hope I haven't kept you all waiting to long." Sarah said cheerily.

All except Jewel's expressions said volumes, as they took her manner of dress in. They were NOT amused. Jewel's grin was spread across her face clearly saying "Go Sarah!"

She made her way to the table and took her seat, confident, head up, and determined to not let them get to her today.

"Sherryana, please, sit by me." She said warmly to the woman behind her.

Jewel took a seat on the other side of Sarah, marking a clear division of mindsets at the table.

Iliana was the first to say anything. "My, Lady Sarah, that is a most unusual outfit. Tell me, is it common for women to wear breeches in the aboveground?"

"Yes, Lady Illiana, it is. Don't get me wrong, I adore playing dress up in all the lovely dresses, but this is my home, so when I am here, I prefer pants. Besides, I've gotten used to them during my training with my guards and Jareth's teaching me the sword, so it's jsut easier for me to do what needs to be done without being impeded by yards of material around my legs. Who will argue with the Queen, after all? Would anyone really dare to tell me how to dress in my own kingdom? Besides, Jareth so enjoys me wearing them." She grinned at the other woman, seeing the woman's lips tighten.

Jareth's sisters and Deela all had their mouths hanging open.

Really?! Oh I want to enter warriors training too! how exciting!" Jewel exclaimed, snapping the others out of their daze.

Illian grabbed her youngest daughter's arm. "You will do no such thing! While I cannot say this against a Queen, I can say to you, young lady, to do such a thing would be shameful!" clearly she meant it to be a dig at Sarah, but sensed she had best not say it directly to her.

Jewel wrenched her arm from her mother's grip and stared down at her plate, blushing and shamefaced.

Sarah reached and took the girls hand under the table for support, but said nothing.

"Please, ladies, eat, our Elven cooks have spent all morning creating this wonderful meal for us. Justinia, how are you feeling? Do you need anything?" She asked Jareth's middle sister.

Jareth had told her pregnancy tended to be very hard on immortal women, changed ones seemed to have a bit of an easier time with it, he said. Sarah hoped that was true when her time came.

The redhead said quietly. "No, thank you for asking Lady Sarah. Deela is attending to my needs, and Vernon has been most attentive. I have been feeling well here so far, just a little nauseated in the morning." Justinia was the quietest of the sisters, Jareth told her she was very shy and studious. Jolena seemed to be very much like her mother, very proper and disapproving of Sarah.

"Well, please let me know if you do need anything. We are family now after all." Sarah told her, smiling.

Justinia just smiled a little and said nothing further.

Sarah turned to the lady she had not yet spoken to, Deela. "How are you enjoying The Goblin Kingdom, Lady Deela? Did you get a chance to spend time with Perryn? He is a very kind man, I am grateful of his concern for me."

Deela was a severe woman with pale hair pulled back and disconcerting, pale gray eyes. She made Sarah a bit uncomfortable, the way her eyes bored through her. "Yes, Your Majesty, it is quite lovely. Thank you for your hospitality. Perryn is a fine healer, he has taught me a great deal."

Sarah realized she reminded her of someone else, but could not put her finger on who. Ah well, she thought, probably my imagination.

The meal passed quietly after that, with Illiana sending Sarah severe disapproving looks often, but Sarah pointedly ignoring them and having a grand time talking to Jewel and Sherryana.

Meanwhile, The 5 men were walking though the forest, hunting their prey. Jareth led the way, flanked by two guards, Then his father, then his brothers-in-law Vernon and Ivan, with Caolin and two more guards behind. Jareth wore a more streamlined armor appropriate for hunting, allowing more freedom of movement.

They had heard a flock of the birds they were looking for up ahead, the birds were similar to aboveground pheasants, but larger.

"Jareth, you don't seem to happy to be joining us today." Jastiel said to his son.

Jareth stopped and said to him "Honestly Father, I am not. I do not appreciate you and Mother manipulating my wife. She is trying very hard to appease you both. I would have rather waited a few more days to do this. Until Sarah is more comfortable with all of your without me there."

Jastiel stopped next to his son. "Jareth, the way you coddle the girl is ridiculous. She is The Goblin Queen. She needs to learn to deal with difficult situations and difficult people. We may be a bit..stern, but we are nothing compared to certain other factions within our realm. If she cannot handle your family, she might as well be locked away in a tower now, far away from where she will have to deal with anyone or anything except providing you with heirs and hosting tea parties for goblins."

Jareth glared at his father."Father, you forget who you talk to. I am your son, but more than that I am King here, and while you are here you will hold your tongue. I do not want to hear any further remarks about my wife. I am now commanding that you be kind to her, or you may leave."

Jastiel glared back at his son. "Yes, Your Majesty, but I will tell you one last thing, before I do what you want. You think I do not like..the Queen..but you are wrong. I do like her, she is a sweet, likable girl. But I will not coddle her son, she needs to be strong here. I will not say anything further that you could remotely consider unkind, but I hope you heed my advice, do not attempt to make this some sort of fantasy world for her, it will not work. It is very real, the dangers here are real."

Jareth's mouth tightened. and he turned back to the hunt. The others had been far enough back they did not hear the exchange thankfully, except the two guards, who knew better than to show that they had even paid attention. "Let's just get this over with, and go home." He said, leading the party towards the sounds of the birds gathered nearby.

After then returned to the castle, carrying 4 birds for the cooks to prepare for the evening meal. Jareth sought out Sarah, finding her in the library, alone.

"Hello beloved." Jareth said as he swept in, sitting next to Sarah on the velvet sofa, kissing her on the forehead.

He took in her outfit. "Quite nice..tell me is this what you wore to the brunch?" He asked smirking.

She looked up from her book finally. "Good evening my husband. Yes it is." She grinned back at him. "You like? I changed back into it after I trained."

"Oh absolutely. I'm do wonder what the other ladies thought." He said.

"Well let's see," Sarah answered. "Jewel wants an outfit just like it, Your mother, Jolena, and Deela probably think I'm some sort of harlot, or at least clearly insane, and Justinia was indifferent, as she didn't seem to feel all that well. They should have let her stay in bed."

"They probably wanted all the allies they could muster up, and since there was no one else here, they forced her to attend with them." Jareth said, sounding a bit disgusted.

"Promise me Your Majesty, when I'm pregnant I can lay around like a beached whale and you will cater to my every whim, and you will not force me to hang out with people who annoy me." She told him, turning and laying against him, kicking her boots off and curling her feet under her.

Jareth chuckled. "Oh you can count on all of that and much more. If necessary I will carry you everywhere you need to go."

Sarah laughed at that. "I think by the end even you would be hesitant to lug a grumpy, hormonal pregnant lady around everywhere. Just please, promise to rub my feet."

"I will rub any part of you, you ask me to, pregnant or not." He said. Putting his around around her and wiggling his upswept brows.

"Dirty minded old perverted king." She teased him.

"Excuse me, who seduced who a few nights ago? Was it not you who pushed me against a wall and took advantage of me? I think If anyone is dirty minded here, it is the perverted Queen." He laughingly told her.

They laughed, teased and talked until the evening meal was ready. They ate a very quiet dinner with everyone, and made sure to compliment the cooks on preparing the birds the men had brought back. Sarah noticed Justinia was absent, having went to bed early.

They retired to their rooms, sat in front of the fire, enjoying this quiet time together. They both felt deep down this was the calm before the storm, so they took advantage of it.

And it was. They had no idea of the evil intent lurking nearby, watching, waiting for the time to strike. That they were all about to be betrayed in the most heinous way imaginable.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The next day dawned cloudy. A storm was coming in. Jareth sat at his desk, looking out his window. Storms were most unusual here. Odd, he thought. Not unheard of, but odd.

The morning had been uneventful, he and Sarah had forgone breakfast with his family and dined alone in their rooms. He knew his parents wouldn't be happy about it, but he needed to spend some private time with his wife.

Sarah seemed tired again. This worried him a little. It was most likely the emotional strain of the last few days, but he didn't like it at all.

Caolin was working quietly, filing papers, looking over grievances to see if they needed to be acted upon further, and giving the king his space. He sensed Jareth was a bit bothered by something.

He had known Jareth since they were very young. They had met during training, and fought together in the armies.  
Caolin with chestnut hair that fell in waves he kept pulled back, brown eyes, and quiet demeanor was opposite of Jareth in many ways, while Jareth was slender, all sinew and lean muscle, Caolin was thickly built and muscular.  
When they were young Jareth was the trickster, with everyone drawn to him, and Caolin was a silent observer of the goings on.  
Jareth saved his life in that long ago war, and he declared then and there he would serve him however he could. He admired the man immensely, and knew the burden his power was at times. Very few knew how powerful Jareth was, in fact Caolin suspected Jareth himself did not know what the extent of his power might be.  
It was no surprise to him The Labyrinth had chosen him to be The Goblin King. When he had askeed Caolin to come with him as his assistant, his second, he did not hesitate. There was no one he would rather stand beside.  
He watched his king lose his heart to the mortal girl, as surprised as Jareth was. He couldn't imagine the man would ever want to settle on one woman, much less a mortal...but he did. He watched as Jareth would sit quietly and knew he was thinking of the girl with the green eyes. When she finally called him, Caolin was thrilled for his friend and sovereign, to find real love, his soul mate.

He thoughts turned to Sherryana, and he smiled. Soon he planned on asking for permission to court her. He knew theirs was not the consuming passion of the king and queen, but a quieter sort of affection. He thought he could grow to really love her, given time. That was more than most immortals could say. They could have a good life together here. Maybe if they were lucky have a child or two of their own someday.

Jareth broke the silence. "What are you grinning about there, Caolin?"

Caoliin looked up. "Oh..I apologize My Lord, my mind seemed to drift for a you have need of me?"

Jareth smirked. He had a feeling his friend was thinking of Sarah's assistant.

"No, it's fine, I am thinking of taking a walk through The Labyrinth today, check on things. Anything to get out of this dreary castle and dreary mood. I wonder what this storm is about as well. Strange."

"Yes it is Your Majesty. Will The Queen be joining you?" Caolin asked.

"I think not." Jareth answered. "She is a bit tired today, I recommended to her she stay close to the castle in case she needed Merrik take a look at her. I may have him do so tomorrow, either way. No matter what she says."

Caolin agreed. "Yes, My lord."

Sarah sat in a chair in her rooms, staring out unseeing at the cloudy sky. She couldn't remember seeing more than a few puffy clouds here before, much less the stormy gray clouds there was today. She had risen and bathed, dressed in simple brown breeches, boots, and a loose tan tunic.  
She didn't have much work , nothing Sherryana couldn't take care of and file away. The past few days wore her down a bit. Plus, something was just off, like there was an axe hanging silently over her head, waiting to fall, and why was she so tired? She wondered.  
Ugh. She knew eventually she would have to do as Jareth wished and have the healer look at her.

Jareth sent her a message that he would be outside the castle today, checking on things around The Labyrinth proper. for some reason, she was really wishing he had stayed close today.

Maybe she would make her way to the library and find a book to read.

The Healer Perryn was restless, there was something right at the edges of his brain poking at him. Since yesterday he felt he missed a large clue to the mystery of who had poisoned the queen and why. And it felt like the entire world was holding its' breath, waiting for something to happen.  
This feeling had started last evening when he had dined with the king's family. They had been talking, not about anything of importance, and someone had said something that has started bothering him. He wished he knew what it was.

Sarah had been in the library for about an hour when the healer's apprentice, Deela burst into the room.

"Your Majesty!" She cried.

Sarah stood up immediately alarmed. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"The Lady Justinia, she is in a great deal of pain, I am afraid she may be losing the babe. She is asking for you, can you come?" Deela said in a rush.

"Oh no..of course!" They took off at a quick pace, Sarah following Deela.

They quickly made their way to the rooms Justinia and her husband had been given and went in.

The girl was unconscious on the bed. sweating profusely.

Sarah gasped and ran to the bed. "Justinia, can you hear me? Are you alright? Deela, go get Merrik, as fast as you can."

She noticed Justinia's gray eyed husband Vernon standing at the end of the bed watching her quietly. Glaring at her, really.

"What are you waiting for? Do you want her to lose your child, to die? Get going!"

The man just stood there saying nothing.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Perryn kept going over and over the night before, trying to figure out what it was that was bothering him so.  
He recalled the conversation.  
"The hunt was a fine one, Your Majesty, the game birds living here have the most tender meat." The man Ivan had said. "Don't you agree, Sir Vernon?"  
"Yes, of course, quite nice, Your Majesty."  
"Thank you Ivan, Vernon, I'm glad you had an enjoyable outing."

Vernon. Perryn thought. He had not heard such a name since...then something clicked.

"Perryn ran to the door and threw it open. "I Must speak with His Majesty immediately, it is a matter of life and death, The Queen's life!" He yelled at the guards standing there.

"Healer Perryn we cannot let you wander the castle looking for His Majesty." One of the guards said. "Besides, we received word his is out within the maze. You will have to wait. We will let you know when..."

Perryn shoved the guards out of the way with all his might and ran for it.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vernon finally spoke. "She will be fine. Lady Sarah, Deela gave her a small sleeping enchantment, and added a little extra to make her sweat a bit. For appearances."

Sarah's mouth dropped open. "What? Why? Why would she do that?"

"Because I commanded her to." Vernon said. "If I commanded her to, she would slit her throat, even if it would cost her her life. But as the girl carries my offspring I'd prefer she live at least long enough to provide me with my heir. Although, I will in all likelihood have to end her immediately after the birth. Deela has always been the most loyal of my kin. Of course, she is the only one of my kin left, since your husband slaughtered them all.

Sarah felt her apprehension rising. Something was very very wrong here. She sent a silent request for assistance towards her husband through their bond. It slammed back into her, knocking her to the floor.

"Ah ah ah, Your Majesty. I have the room warded." Vernon told her.

Deela went to the girl on the floor and yanked her up roughly. "What now, Master?"

"Now I bind her, and her magic, then we get her back to my castle as quickly as possible."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Perryn was running for his life, for all their lives, the guards weren't far behind him, but adrenalin was keeping him going. He made it to the king's study just as Caolin had stepped out. The guards yelling "Sir Caolin, stop him!"

Caolin, using his significant physical strength, took the brunt of the healer's slamming into him whit only a step or two backwards.

"What on in all the worlds is going on healer?! What have you done?!" He bellowed loudly, putting the man into a headlock.

Perryn saw stars before his eyes, the large man was squeezing the breath out of him. "Must...must..talk to..His Majesty..it's important..." he said trying to catch his breath in between words.

Caolin loosened his arm and called the guards over to hold man. "What is going on?" He demanded.

Perryn bent over a little gasping. "I know who it is, His Majesty's brother-in-law, Vernon..he carries a name of the royal family of The Golden Kingdom..it has to be him!"

"Are you sure of this, healer?" Caolin asked.

"Yes!" Perryn said. We must hurry!"

"Hold him here." Caolin told the guards. "I will fetch the King."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sarah had been bound hands and feet, and Vernon had performed some sort of spell that had cut her off from her magic. Then they had placed her on the bed next to Justinia, who was starting to wake up.

"What are you doing with us? Where are you taking us?" Sarah asked the two moving about.

Vernon and Deela were gathering some things together, and readying a transport spell she could see.

"My home, girl. Shut your mouth." Vernon said. "Mortals disgust me. too bad I need you to achieve my goals. I would happily take your life, and leave you for Jareth to find. how I would enjoy watching him suffer. All in good time."

"Who are you really?" She asked him.

He turned and walked to the bed. He grabbed her by her shoulders and pulled her to him. "I am Prince Vergul, you twit. Heir to the throne to The Golden Kingdom.  
This is my oldest brother's daughter, born not long before Jareth and his army destroyed my family, my people, and my home. With you, I can bring it all back. Now do yourself a favor and refrain from speaking further, or I will have to punish you for disobeying me."  
Sarah eyes felt like they were about to pop out of her head, not just from the pressure being place on her neck, but because of what had just been revealed to her.

Justinia eyes opened. "Wha...what's going on..Sarah..why are you here?"

Vernon, now revealed to be Vergul, turned to his wife. "Relax dear, we will be leaving for the portal momentarily. We are going home."

"What? What portal? Vernon what are you going on about? Why is The Queen bound?" She asked, confused.

The man standing above her snarled. "Justinia, I will tell you what I told her. Shut your mouth, or I will have Deela sew it shut. I'm tired of explaining myself to you two."

The redhead shrunk back from him, shocked at his tone and his harsh words.

"We will be leaving in a very few minutes, as soon as our magic is at full effect. You both won't mind if I borrow some of your energy, will you? Never mind, don't answer, The sound of both of your voices irritates me."

Sarah, and Justinia looked at each other, and said nothing. Sarah tried desperately to break the bonds around her magic before the spell was at full power.

A crack of thunder echoed across the kingdom.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Caolin finally located Jareth near the chair of the Wise Man. "My Lord! You must come!"

Jareth, who had been already startled by the loud thunderclap, turned, alarmed at Caolin's voice. "What is it? Is it Sarah, is she alright?"

"The Healer Perryn has told me your brother in law Vernon, he believes, is who is behind the attack on Sarah. We must arrest him immediately." Caolin informed him.

"Let us go, now." Jareth said. They transported to the castle.

Jareth appeared in the throne room in his full armor. "Where is Sarah?" He asked loudly.

"Sire, the healer Deela, came and told her your sister was in some distress, she went to her." A guard said.

"Justinia?" Jareth asked.

"Yes, I believe so My Lord."

"DAMN IT ALL!" Jareth yelled. "Guards, follow me now! My wife is in danger!"

They transported to Justinia's quarters, only to hit a wall of magic and drop just outside the doors.

The king was enraged. "Who DARE ward me out of rooms in my own castle!" Pounding on the door. "Sarah! Sarah are you in there?!"

All inside heard the commotion outside the doors, Vergul said "Damn..Almost there! hold them out for another 30 seconds Deela!"

The Sarah started to scream. "JARETH! It's Vernon! and Deela! Hurry please!"

Deela felt the wards beginning to unravel. She knew they would not hold much longer against The Goblin King's power.

Jareth, was pushing against the doors with his body and his magic, ripping through the magical weaves surrounding the doors. He had heard Sarah's screams. "I'm coming!" Straining against them..he felt the last threads falling away.

It's time!" Vergul said, He threw Sarah over his shoulder and gestured for Deela to gather up Justinia. Justinia was severely weakened so she could not fight the stronger woman. Sarah was thrashing against him, kicking and hitting him with her bound limbs trying to get him to drop her, but he was so very strong with evil magic it wasn't working. Vegrul felt the last of the ward slipping way. as he screamed "NOW!"

Jareth, Caolin, and the guards burst through the door in time to see them disappear in an explosion of black smoke and fire.

Jareth fell to his knees. "NOOOO! Sarah!"

Seconds later The four, Vergul, Deel, Justinia, and Sarah dropped appeared in another cloud of smoke and fire near a copse of trees, feet from the hidden portal to The Dead Kingdom.

Vergul dropped Sarah hard on the ground. "You stupid mortal girl! How dare you strike me!""

He slapped her harder this time. She glared murderously at him. "If you EVER unbind me, you scum sucking jerk, I will kick you in the balls so hard they will lodge in your nostrils."

He smiled at her, she could see his glamour falling away. Instead of gray eyes, both his and Deela's were now black as night.

"You are a feisty one, Your Majesty. I'm sure Jareth enjoyed your rather ardent passions. Who knows, maybe I will take a taste myself. Now be quiet. It will take a few minutes to open the portal."

He spoke to the woman behind him "Deela, how is she faring?" Meaning Justinia.

"She is weak, but she made it. I would advise we hurry. Elspeth and Elsian should have everything ready when we get there."

Sarah's mouth dropped open again. "Elspeth and Elsian? They are in on this too?"

"Oh yes, vindictive little one, that Elspeth. She administered my poison gladly at Talystra, you know. adopted by the barren King and Queen of the Elves. Let's just say, I commandeered them and left them in the Elf Kingdom. Queen Lillian came across them and fell in love with the golden haired children. Which of course is what I wanted her to do.

"I had originally wanted Elspeth to marry Jareth and become a Keeper, and acquire the power that way, but what do you know? My mother's prophecy came true. The Goblin King lost his head over a mortal girl.""

"We are ready Master." Deela said.

"Shall we go then? Deela, carry the mortal. I will carry my lovely wife." Vergul instructed her.

Deela pick Sarah up and swung her over her own shoulder. Sarah was amazed how strong these two were. She kept trying to break though their magical bonds, trying to reach Jareth. Hot tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she felt the pull of the portal sucking her in.

The Goblin King was frantic and incensed.. After the traitorous Vernon and Deela had disappeared with their captives, they had all rushed to the throne room.

Jareth's family was gathered there, as the guards were instructed to bring them.

He faced his family. "Did any of you know of this? Vernon's plans to take my wife? I warn you, you may be my blood, but I will kill any one of you on the spot for this treason!"

Jastiel stepped forward. "No Jareth, we did not. He fooled us as well. Remember he not only has your wife but my daughter. You may think me cold, but I would give my life for any one of my children, to keep them from harm. Even you, my son."

Just then Caolin and two more guards drug Perryn into the room. Jareth turned his ire onto the older man.

"You Perryn, your apprentice was in on this. How could you not know this?" He snapped. He walked to the healer and grabbed him by the neck, pulling him close. "Perryn, if anything happens to my wife, someone will have to pay. Who do you think it should be?"  
Caolin stepped up just at that moment. "My Lord, I do not believe this man has anything to do with this. He came to me, after all, as soon as he realized Vernon was a name from his kingdom."

"Then we know where we must go. Perryn, you will take us to the portal. I will unbind your magic, and we will follow your lead. If you betray me, I will have to head on a stake outside my castle." Jareth said. "Caolin, gather the royal guards. We must leave as soon as possible."

Jareth conjured his two swords strapped to his back, and a short dagger which is stuck in his boot.

His father approached him. "I will go too Jareth. We can leave Ivan here with your mother and sisters for protection. you will have need of my skills as well. After all who taught you?"

Jareth said nothing, just looked at him, then gave him a slight nod.

Illiana and her two daughters stood silently by, Jewel crying openly. Sherryana took hold of her hand and squeezed.

"It will be okay, Jewel, Sarah is strong, she will fight with every fiber of her being, for herself and your sister."

She let go and walked to Caolin who was strapping weapons upon himself. "Take care, Caolin, I would be most...upset if something happened to you as well."

Caolin stopped what he was doing, and reached and grabbed her hand. "I will, Sherryana, I promise, we will all return, with the Queen and Justinia."

Jareth looked around and said to all. "Are we ready? Perryn come here."

The healer walk to the king, facing him. Jareth lifted a hand towards him and closed his eyes. Immediately Perryn felt his magic flood through him like a wave.

"You take the lead Perryn." The king told him, bristling.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Perryn closed his eyes and concentrated, weaving his magic to take him to the portal outside The Dead Kingdom. He felt The king reach out with his magic and latch on to his, and pulling the rest with him.

Over a matter of 2 breaths, they all disappeared, leaving those in the throne room with all their fear and worry at what would happen to their loved ones.

Moments later they appeared near the same spot the other had appeared less than an hour earlier.

Perryn, Then Jareth, Jastiel, followed by Caolin and lastly the goblin warrior guards.

Caolin asked."Your Majesty, do you feel that?"

Jareth stopped and observe a moment. "Yes, forbidden magic. Who are these people really? Do you know Perryn?"

"I am certain Vernon is one of the royal family." Perryan answered immediately. "My Lord, He has to be. his name has the marker of King Vergas. He must be one of his sons. I do not know how Deela comes into this though."

Jareth hissed through his teeth. Blast! He thought. He thought they had gotten them all in the war. Evil vile creatures.

"They will die now, I will make sure of it." Jareth said to the rest. "Let us be off, through the portal."

He felt the mark of a ward, woven over it. Reaching out with his power, he snapped the threads of magic one by one.

"They will feel you breaking through the wards." Caolin said.

"Of course they will, no matter, They will soon feel my sword as I shove it though their bodies."

As soon as it was done, they party went carefully through, reaching out looking for anything amiss.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sarah was tired and scared.

After they had went through the portal, she was shocked, The land they were in was all blacks and grays, dead twisted trees, ash covered the ground, nothing was alive. She knew now why they called it dead. it really was. After a while They had let her down and undid her feet so she could walk, but Deela kept a tight hold on her.

They had transported again, this time withing a few hundred yards from a pile of rubble that Vernon/Vergul called his castle.

"Lovely isn't it, You you see See what your beloved husband did? He killed everyone and everything. My entire family, save Deela and Myself. I thought she was dead too. I found her covered in her parents blood."

Sarah gave him a withering look. "He told me why too. You had become evil, sending a magical plague upon your own people! You killed most of them before they even acted. No need to lie to me."

He grabbed the girl by her face, tightening his grip on her jaw. "You have quite the tongue on you. Maybe I should cut it out, to prevent further annoyances. Then again, I think I would miss hearing your screams for your husband as I do with you what I will. They are here, you know, I felt them come through, maybe a hour or two behind us."

Sarah sagged with relief, she had wondered if Jareth would be able to find them.

"Don't get your hopes up, mortal. I was counting on Jareth coming for you. You see, my first act when I acquire the power The Labyrinth holds through you, is to kill him and whomever he brought with him."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So far, it was quiet. The only sounds where their footsteps, breathing. Nothing lived. Jareth knew this of course. but it was still very disturbing experience.

He turned to the rest. "I do not know what will happen. I want to all to swear to me. No matter what you will make sure Sarah makes it back to The Goblin Kingdom. One of us has to survive, and I prefer it be her, given the choice."

He took Caolin and his father aside. "You know what you have to do, if I become corrupted."

They nodded. They could not allow such an evil to grab a hold of a Keeper. To spread through this world and possibly any other.

He would have to do the same for any of them. It was also slowly eating at him, as they made their way and the ruined castle came into view, that he did not get a chance to tell Sarah what would happen, what could happen.

Fear crawled around his insides, ripping at his soul. Praying to the gods, he did not have to...He gulped. No, she is fine. Scared, but fine, I will find her in time, I cannot do it. She will fight. It could not, would not take her.

They got closer, and they could see candles and torches were burning inside.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vergul and Deela made their way to the lowest level hauling Sarah and Justinia with them. They were the dungeons at one time, but now the safest place to stay here. the walls were solid, the roof not crumbling in like the rest of the castle.

Finally they came to a large room with 2 long tables and a few chairs sitting around and a couple of cots.

"Ahh..finally. we have arrived." Vergul declared.

He laid Justinia gently on a one of the cots, noticing she was very pale.

"Deela, check on my wife. While you are at it once you have Sarah restrained on the other cot, check on her as well, I want to make sure she is healthy, and she hadn't been feeling well the past few days."

Deela did as she was told. Sarah was tied to a cot, she fought Deela tooth and nail from touching her, squirming about trying to avoid her hands. She seemed alright though, so she moved on to the other prone, pale girl.

"Master, Justinia is very weak and ill. This trip has been hard on her, especially since she is with child."

"Well heal her..isn't that what I have you for?" Vergul said. "What of Her Majesty?"

"She seems fine, I only did a cursory check but nothing is amiss. She was thrashing to much to be able to be more thorough. I am not sure how much magic I should use on Justinia, sometimes it is detrimental to the fetus."

"Just.. boost her up a bit, we only need her to make it a few more months anyway. Long enough for the child to survive outside the womb, then we can take it and be done with her."

"You're sick!" Sarah screamed at him from the cot "Using an innocent woman to plant your seed in her, then taking her life when she gives birth?"

He stomped over to the cot, smiling down at the queen. "Jealous, my dear? Maybe once your husband is dead, I will plant an heir in you too."

Sarah did the only thing she could think of, she spit in his face "Don't you ever touch me you evil bastard."

Vergul hit her again, this time so hard it made her dizzy and her ears rang. He watched the hand print blossom on the girls pale skin.

"There. I touched you, what are you going to do about it?" He said, smiling wider. "Lay there and be quiet."

He turned back to Deela. "Where are Elspeth and Elsian?"

"Gathering the supplies, Master" She answered.

Sarah's cheek was throbbing and she tasted blood inside her mouth but tried to ignore it.

"Supplies for what? What are you going to do with me?" She pleaded.

Vergul turned back to Sarah, his eyes blacker still. "Fine, I will tell you, what does it matter now. You are a Keeper Sarah. A conduit for the single greatest powerful entity known in all the worlds. I am going to get that power, using you to do it.  
Then with a little help of a spell I've perfected over the last 3,000 years, I will do the one thing no magical being has ever done. I will bring back the dead. My kingdom will rise once more, and we will make them all pay for what the did here."

"Oh God." She said, her fear rising to new heights.

"Exactly, girl, I will be as a god here then. and rule the entire realm, and eventually any other realm I choose. Even your pitiful mortal world, that is hardly worth ruling, but your race will make wonderful slaves and breeders for us here."

Sarah was silent as she digested this news. Aboveground? Her family? Everyone she ever knew, slaves to monsters like this one. She could not let that happen, she had to find away to get loose and kill him.

Just then Elpeth and Elsian came into the room out of breath. Elsian spoke first. "We must hurry they will be here before long, maybe 20 minutes at the most."

"Do we have all of the supplies? Then let's get to work." He told them all.

Sarah's cot was only a foot or so away from Justinia's. Sarah looked at her to see if she was alright. To her surprise, her eyes were open and pleading, full of pain, and not just from whatever illness or injury she was dealing with, but from being betrayed so fully by her husband.

Sarah told her quietly "It will be alright, just hang in there okay? They will be here soon."

Sarah knew the other woman was not their target, so she figured she, at least would have a chance to get away.

Justinia just nodded and closed her eyes.

Sarah had an idea. She scooted inch by inch, as the other four people were doing whatever they were doing at one of the tables were concentrated on their tasks, she was able to slide the cot closer to the other woman.

"Justinia"she whispered. "You aren't tied down, if you can somehow untie one side, I can do the rest. I know you are weak, but try."

Just then Deela turned, Sarah quickly recovered her prone position. The apprentice narrowed her eyes, but didn't seem to hear what she had been doing.

She turned back to grinding some sort of herb in her mortar and pestle in preparation for the spell.

Justina reached over to where Sarah's arm was tied to the the cot, weakly pulling on the ropes. It seemed to be getting looser, but she didn't have enough strength to give it the good tug it needed.

Sarah sighed. "It's okay, just least we tried."

The two men them moved Sarah into the center of the room, and they didn't get a chance to try again.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Outside Jareth, Jastiel, Caolin, Perryn and the guards approached the ruins, and started looking for the way in. Perryn was trying to remember exactly where it was.

Jastiel stopped for a moment suddenly. "There are more than 2 magic users here, besides my daughter and your wife. Also Justinia's presence is very weak. We need to hurry son, can you feel Sarah's energy yet?"

Jareth reached out to the place Sarah usually was, and..nothing But there was something else, some other presence, unlike anything he had ever experienced, he could not pinpoint what it was but it was something that inexplicably leading him towards her. It didn't feel evil or threatening, just there like a beacon of soft light, and he knew it was attached to his wife, and as long as it was there, she was too.

"No, I cannot, she is still invisible to me, but somehow I still know she is alive." He said to his father.

Just at that time Perryn called "I found it!"  
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Elsian and Vergul moved the cot with Sarah in to the center of the room. She looked at each of them with angry eyes.

"Elspeth, Elsian, why are you doing this? You have a good life in the Elf Kingdom, why throw it away to follow this bastard into hell?"

Elspeth leared at her. "Simple, he saved us when we were orphaned, and trained us well. We were placed in a position so that the King and Queen of the Elf Kingdom would find us. I was going to marry Jareth and become a Keeper myself, but things didn't quite work out that way. So here we are."

"What happened to your real parents?"

"Dead. Good riddance too, simpering fools. Vergul killed them." She smugly told her.

Vergul turned to them all. "Good, everything is ready. Shall we begin?"

Sarah closed her eyes, and pushed at her magical bonds with all her might.

Vergul, holding some sort of old book, began chanting.

Sarah felt cold, then hot, then felt a white light slamming through her body. She screamed.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jaret heard the scream coming down the first stairway. "Sarah!" He cried. Taking off at a run. Caolin stopped him. "Look, Your Majesty, What in all the worlds is that?"

A black mist was coming towards them near the bottom of the stairs.  
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The white of The Labyrinth was coursing through Sarah's body..Burning her, freezing her making her gasp with pain and fear. What was happening to her?

She opened her eyes and and say Vergul, pulling the light from her, into him, and still chanting.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

More mists were gathering, taking shape, making a hissing sound. Jareth and his party brought their swords up, waiting to see what they would do. One of the lunged at them, and Caolin drove his sword through it. It burst into a blue fireball and collapsed within itself.  
The men looked at each other. "Well, men, I guess we fight through them." Caolin said to the rest.

Jareth reached out and felt them with his magic, and jumped back. "do not let them touch you, they are the black souls of those who perished here. Somehow, they are resurrecting them."

Jasteil said behind his son. "How is that possible? No magic can wake the dead!"

"Well, apparently they have found a way." Jareth said grimly. "Using the black magic created in this kingdom ages ago."

Jareth felt something else then a pulse of something very familiar. "The Labyrinth!. The are using Sarah to tap into it! We MUST hurry! We can't let the blackness get inside of her!"

With that they leapt forward, taking out the mists as the worked there was down flights of stone stairs.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sarah was whimpering on the cot, trying to fight the magic coming through her. She coming, but she could not turn her head towards the doorway. She fought the heaviness in her head to try. and as she was trying she heard his voice. she screamed again with the last of her strength. "JARETH!" Then everything went black.

Jareth burst through the doorway, seeing his brother-in-law, Deela, and the twins standing around Sarah laid out on a cot. Vernon was chanting. He felt the power he was was creating through the forbidden magic, and the magic of The Labyrinth bursting into the room hit him like cold fire.

Not hesitating he swung his sword At Deela and she screeched. "Master!"

Vergul turned and smiled at The Goblin King. " It's too late, Jareth, The Labyrinth is mine now. " With that he reached out his the power he now held, and threw the king across the room into a wall.

Perryn had been right behind Jareth. "How could you do this Deela! Your vows! To take life is a death sentence for a healer!"

Deela observed the older man for a moment before speaking. "I have not taken life, Perryn. Nor do I plan to. Regardless, I am not bound to your laws anymore. I am first and foremost bound to the law of my kingdom and my Master.. Now, If you sit quietly in the corner, he may let you live another day. I know you are from here, so we would prefer to not have to kill you." Then she turned away from him, expecting him to back away.

Perryn said nothing, he knew the woman was too far gone to the other side looked to the ceiling and said under his breath. "Gods forgive me, I ask that this not be in vain." Taking the knife he had sheathed in his sleeve, he shoved it into the woman's back.

He feel the burning start deep inside, the pain driving him to the floor. He writhed for a moment, then was still, the knife dropping from his hand, still covered in Deela's blood.

Deela screamed. "MASTER!" Then swayed and fell.

Vergul simply stepped over her body and looked at the other men gathered at the door.

"Well, what will you do now? You King and Queen are quite incapacitated."

Caolin stepped forward, 2 swords raised. "I will kill you. don't you even care one of your own is injured possibly dead?"

The man was obviously insane, laughing crazily at Caolin's words."Her? She is replaceable. She was merely a means to an end."

Meanwhile the twins had been standing silently by, wondering what to do, in reality, without direction they were just sniveling little minions. Vergul had not given them further instructions. They knew they did not want to die, either way, and it seemed they mattered little to Vergul.

If he could let Deela be hurt or killed with so little care, they were nothing to him. They were near the other doorway so Elsian pulled his sister slowly towards it, thinking the could simply make a run for it, and get away.

As they slipped around the corner Elspeth felt a sword at her back. Jastiel and several of the guards had made their way around the other side, to box them in.

Jastiel said quietly. "Going somewhere?"

Elspeth turned slowly her eyes wide with fear."I'm not..I mean we didn't.."

Jastiel grabbed the girl by the throat. "Don't lie to me, girl. You knew exactly what you were doing. No matter what happens this day, you will pay for your actions."

Jareth's head was swimming from smacking in the stone. but he was slowly rising trying to shake it off. He had fallen right behind the cot his sister was laying on, so he pulled himself up to his knees and he laid his hand on her arm. She turned and looked at him, eyes full of tears. "I am sorry my brother. I did not know."

Jareth nodded at her, moving his head hurt, and he could feel blood flowing down the side of his face.

Just then he head a voice in his head. "My Keeper, can you hear me?"

He stilled. "I hear you, Labyrinth" He did not not need to speak out loud, he was able to communicate with the entity through his thoughts.

"What is this vile thing that has access to my power?" It asked.

"He is a member of the royal family of The Golden Kingdom, Labyrinth." He replied.

"I feel his blackness, Goblin King, He must be stopped." He heard in his head.

"What am I to do, Labyrinth." Jareth asked. Knowing the answer and not want to even thinking of it.

"You know what you have to do. Jareth." It answered quietly.

Jareth felt despair take hold. He did know, and he knew once he did it, he may as well ask to die as well.

He stood, and saw his Father and several guards at the second doorway, holding Elspeth and Elsian. He met his father's eyes. He knew his father could see the raw pain in his.

He saw Vernon facing Caolin, and Perryn on the floor, Probably dead, as well as his former apprentice, barely moving and bleeding profusely.

He saw all this in a matter of seconds, and the decision was made.

"Vernon!" He yelled, stalking across the room. Vernon/Vergul turned, startled that the king was conscious, and as soon as he did, Caolin was on him.

Caolin swung he sword and Vergul stopped it with his magic, then the guards came at him, he was able to hold them all at bay with the power he had stolen from the Labyrinth. He could also see more black mists coming down the stairs behind them, and knew he felt his victory within his fingers.

What could not see, was Jareth standing over Sarah's form on the cot. What he did not comprehend was the king pulling the dagger out of his boot.

Caolin, seeing what The Goblin King was doing, charged the crazed Vergul again, to distract him, motioning to the guard behind him to join in.

The king kneeled, and with tears running down his face, touch Sarah's cheek, and kissed her lips. "I love you, always. I am sorry, sorry I ever brought you here, sorry I put you through this for nothing. But I'm not sorry I loved you, and will be forever humbled that you loved me...it won't be long before I join you, but first, I vow all who caused this will pay for what they have done."

His voice thick with emotion, his throat so tight he was almost unable to get out the words.

With those words, he drove his dagger down...severing Vernon from The Labyrinth's power, and ripping his own heart out of it's chest. He felt a gaping hole inside where Sarah had once been. not just the block from before but her total absence in this world. He gasped at the sensation. He had not realized how in such a short time he had come to rely so heavily on her warmth to make him whole.

Through his pain and rage, he managed to stand up, still watching his beloved's blood seep out of her. He hand clenching into fists as hot tears streamed unchecked down his face, mixing wit the blood drying from the wound on this temple.

"NOOOOOO!" Vergul yelled. feeling the power disappear. He fell to the floor. Caolin picked him up, holding a sword at his throat. Saying nothing, too saddened and angry to speak.

Caolin didn't notice the man had picked up the knife Perryn has stabbed Deela with. He swung the knife and managed to swipe Caolin along the neck and shoulder, causing the big man's hold to loosen enough that he wrenched himself away, trying to scrabble to his feet to run.

Unfortunately, The goblin warriors blocked the way, and The Goblin King grabbed him from behind. He pulled the flailing man close, and spoke into his ear, wrapping his arm around his neck in an iron grip.

"You do realize, Vernon, I am about to carve you and your helpers into a million pieces and burn each to cinders...slowly, I will take you to the brink of death, Then I will heal you, and do it again, and again, for the rest of of my life, because I will never be satisfied that you have paid enough for what you have done. Then just before I die, My last act will be to make sure you all go to Hades and he can torture you for the rest eternity. I know the man, he enjoys torture, and he owes me a favor."

Vergul struggled to sneer. "Do what you will Goblin King, I still got my revenge. Your beloved wife is dead, and soon enough you will wither away and join her, even if it takes a few years. You now can experience losing everything, as I have."

Jareth turned the man to face him. The man shrunk back a little at seeing The Goblin King's face. His eyes were no longer cool blue, but burning red with fiery anger and he trembling with restraint from tearing the man to pieces that very second, he was like a wild beast stalking it's prey. Vergul knew The Goblin King would make good on his threats. He felt the enraged king reach out with his power and wrap him in magical bonds, constricting like a snake.

"Your power is rather weak, compared to mine, without stealing something that does not belong to you to help it along, isn't it?" Jareth was losing any thread of restraint remaining.

Jareth's gloved hand closed around his neck, Vergul's breath slowly leaving him as he felt his windpipe being crushed.

Behind them they heard Jastiel's voice. "Jareth! Wait! Look!"


	11. Chapter 11

Sarah awoke to a blue sky, laying on the softest grass she had ever felt, it felt like green velvet against her skin.

She sat up and looked around, nothing but sky, grass. Down the hill The Labyrinth stretched out as far as she could see. She saw the castle way in the distance. Looking down she saw she was wearing a simple white cotton shift.

"Hello Sarah." She heard, and turned.

There was a woman there, a beautiful woman, with blonde hair to her waist, in a flowing dressing of blues and greens. With eyes that flashed from blue, to green, to purple.' She was smiling at her.

"Who are you? Sarah asked."Where am I? Are we home? Did we win?"

"You are in my home, My Queen. but no, you are not home, yet. You may call me Gaia."

"Gaia? Like goddess of the earth Gaia?" Sarah wondered.

The woman smiled, and approached her, taking her into an embrace. "Oh my beautiful child, I am that, and so much more..but yes, of a sort, I suppose."

"Who am I here, and why? Oh no...am I dead?"

"Yes, and no." Gaia said to her. "For now, you are, I brought your soul here, to keep you safe. My dear Goblin King, he is so bright and wise, but knows so little of what I am. There are things he should have told you, but he did not. Now he is paying the price with his grief."

"What do you mean? Sarah asked the woman.

"The law is clear, There may only be two Keepers, they are two halves of a whole. They must remain uncorrupted. If one becomes corrupted, the other must end the corrupted one."

Sarah felt lightheaded. "You...you mean..Jareth killed me?"

"He had no choice, my dear. To let you live, meant that foul thing would have access to my power. He could not let that happen, just as you could not if it was reversed."

"So my body is still there in that place." Sarah said.

"Yes. Oh, I have something for you." She handed Sarah a ball of light.

"What is this?"

Gaia smiled. "Just something else I needed to keep safe, but it belongs to you. Now that you are awake, you should keep it with you. It won't be much longer now. I have something else for you. A visitor."

She waved her hand pointing behind Sarah.

"Princess?" She heard a familiar voice say. her turned eyes wide, mouth hanging open she turned staring at the sight of her father standing there smiling at her.

"Daddy?" She said.

She ran into her father's arms, sobbing.

"Oh my little girl, my baby, I missed you so much." Her father cried into her shoulder.

Tears were streaming down Sarah's face as she took him in. "Daddy how are you here?"

He smiled, his eyes crinkling in the corners as they always did. "I really have no idea. I guess she brought me." he gestured at the woman standing silently by.

"Daddy, I guess this means I'm dead too. I love you and am glad to see you, but I don't want to..Oh no..oh god..Jareth must be..oh god." She sobbed even harder, thinking of her husband.

He pulled her in tighter. "I know, but I don't think you are staying here, Princess. Something tells me this is only temporary." He rocked her slightly, like he did when she was little, and she had had a nightmare.

She told her father of Jareth, of what had happened to her since he had been gone.

"Oh Sarah, I'm so glad you found a place you belong. I am so proud of you. A Queen! Wow!"

He smiled at her."You always were the strongest person I ever knew. That some fairy tale king fell madly in love with you, doesn't surprise me. I guess it should, but somehow, it doesn't. You always seemed like you were not quite like the rest of us. Like you didn't quite belong on earth. You were always searching for something more. I guess you were lucky enough to find it..or it found you."

"Daddy, I'm sorry I had to leave Toby. I know you wanted me to watch out for him, but, I couldn't stay there." Sarah told her father.

Robert looked into his daughter's eyes. "Sarah, Toby will be fine. I miss him too, but even though I know you and Karen weren't close, you know she adored him and is a good mom. Believe in yourself, Princess, I always have. You had to follow your heart."

Gaia stepped forward then. "Sarah, it's almost time."

She turned to her father. "I have to go back now, Daddy. I love you, I'll never forget you. Please tell mom I love her too, if you see her. Oh and Merlin."

"I have seen them both, and I will." He said. He stepped back, smiling. "I love you Princess, We are so proud of you."

He kept smiling at her, as he faded away.

Gaia took Sarah's hand. "Sarah, you have a choice now. You can go to the Summerlands, or you can go back. I am obligated to tell you that you do have a choice."

"There is no choice, Gaia. I must go to my husband." Sarah said firmly. "I didn't even know you could do that."

Gaia smiled at her again. "Keepers are a special case, as you and Jareth are bonded directly to me."

"If evil had corrupted you, it might be different, but it didn't and I was able to bring you to me to keep it that way.. Your spirit is still pure. I can only do this once though, so take care of yourself, and him. You two have a penchant for trouble." She teased.

She gestured to the ball of light Sarah still cradled in her hand. Take care of that, don't let it go, it will be going with you."

Sarah was confused, but agreed with a nod of her head.

"Here we go, Sarah, close your eyes." Gaia said to her. She laid her hands on Sarah's head.

Sarah closed her eyes, and felt weightless, then nothing. Her world went black once more.

She didn't know how long it was, probably seconds, but her eyes slowly opened and she was staring up at a stone ceiling loud

voices all around her, the smell of blood and ozone making her eyes water. Then Jareth's face came into view. "Sarah?!"  
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The Goblin King turned to look at his father, and saw what the man was pointing at, Sarah, was glowing. the dagger had risen from her chest, her wound closing.

The grip on Vergul's neck loosened and he took deep gulping breaths.

The Goblin King turned back to him then looked over to Caolin "Take this, I will dispose of it momentarily." Thrusting the man in his grip into Caolin's hands.

"Yes, my Lord."Caolin said.

Vergul was dropped to the floor, The Caolin hauled him to his feet. "Don't get your hopes up, you disgusting vile thing, He is still going to kill you."

Jareth stepped slowly to his wife's side, his mouth gaping open. Just as he looked at her face, his eyes met the most beautiful sight he had ever seen, her green eyes, fully open, and looking into his. "Sarah?!"

He dropped to his knees next to the cot, and cupped her face. "How?! How did this happen? I had to...I thought you were lost to me...I pray you can forgive me, I had no choice."

Sarah reached up an touched his face. "There is nothing to forgive, you did what had to be done...now can you please untie me and help me up?"

Jareth did as he was asked, while reaching out with their bond, and feeling the blessed warmth of her once again connected to him.

He pulled her gently to her feet, then into his arms, stroking her hair, taking in her scent. "I don't understand? Sarah, how are you alive?"

She smiled at him. "Can I explain the whole thing later, my husband. I have something I really need to take care of, please step out of my way." She backed out of his embrace and turned.

Jareth panicked a little. "Sarah, no, you must stay away from him, even bound, he is very dangerous, let me deal with him, and rest a moment. Then we can go home and.."

"Jareth!" She said loudly. "You have got to stop! I adore you and always will, but please. I'm okay. I realize we have a lot of baggage we need to work out about what happened here, but right now, I NEED to do this. I need to face him."

"Sarah." Jareth answered..gripping her arm.

"No Your Majesty. Let go of me, and let me have my say." Sarah said to him undoing herself from his hold.

She walked past him and looked at the man Caolin was holding tightly.

"Look at me, Vergul." She said.

He did, smirking weakly at her."Well I guess the prophecy was true..but who knew the dead that rose would be you yourself?"

She grabbed him and pulled his face to hers. "You are a sick sniveling black souled little creature  
who deserves so much more pain than I am going to give you. You used all these people to try and revive something that can never be revived. The royal family died long before the armies came here the last time, by your own hand.  
Their souls destroyed by your vile magic. You aren't even really part of that family, a creation of foul magic that destroyed Vergul's soul then took over his body. What you did to Justinia is so disgusting I prefer not to even go over it. Now once and for all, go back to the foul place you came from and leave this world in peace."

Vergul saw a brief flash before he felt the pain. Sarah drove the very dagger Jareth had used on her, through his heart. Caolin dropped him to the floor.

The creature who had been masquerading as an immortal started to smoke, as it writhed and screeched. The human facade melted away, and in it's place was a scaled black snakelike troll face, with red eyes and dripping fangs, it thrashed and hissed lunging for the queen, she jumped back, as Jareth grabbed her out of the way.

He drew his sword and deftly beheaded the creature. It imploded with a sizzling flash, leaving nothing but a wafting black smoke and a pile of ashes. "Night troll magic, as foul as anything I have ever seen." He grimaced, the sulfur like odor invading invading all their senses.

He turned to Deela, who was semi conscious and bleeding profusely, he saw her eyes were black as well. Checking her wounds, he hissed through his teeth. "Do not touch her blood, she is infected. Caolin, your dagger please." Caolin handed him the weapon. He was about to use it when he stopped. turning to Sarah. "You can end her, if you wish. It is your right."

Sarah looked at the dagger Jareth held out. "No Jareth, I have something else to see to, please do it. I prefer not to ever do such a thing again if I can help it."

The Goblin King did so, first the dagger, then the sword, as it had to be done.

Deela died with a hiss, turning to ash.

Sarah meanwhile, walked to where Elspeth and Elsian were on there knees, bound by her father-in-law and held securely by the goblin warriors.

Fire shooting out of her eyes, she pulled Elspeth up face to face. "You deserve no better, for participating in such evil acts. "What do you have to say for yourself girl?"

Elspeth said nothing for a moment, then fixed the queen with a condescending stare. "You disgusting mortal born whore. What do you know of my world? Why should you have a Queen ship, be married to The Goblin King? Be a Keeper? I am not afraid of you. You are too far beneath me to deserve an explanation."

Sarah did the one thing she had been wanting to do since she met the girl weeks before. She punched her right in her smug little nose, hearing it crack.

"Ahh!" Elspeth yelled, falling backwards into the arms of a guard.

Sarah, The Goblin Queen, then took a step back, and took Elsian to the floor using a good old fashioned round house kick.

Jareth stepped up beside his wife, wiping this blood off his sword with Vergul's cloak and tossing it into the corner where it would be burned with everything else. Observing the two bleeding on the ground, smirking at his wife's actions.

The Goblin King spoke. "I have every right to kill you right here and now, your know. both of you. With all these witnesses to your crimes, no one would question me. However I have decided, since you do not seem to be infected by the forbidden magic. I will see you to trial. A very public, very open trial. I want everyone in this realm to know and to see, one does not simply plot against my crown, my kingdom, and my wife and not suffer the consequences. I would, if I were you, plan to executed shortly afterwards. I have no mercy for you, nor you deserve it."

He turned to the guards. "Guards, gather them up, bind them with these." He conjured ropes and handed them to the guards.

"Father, Caolin gather Justinia please, We are leaving shortly. As soon as we are clear, what is left here must be destroyed."

Jastiel and Caolin decided the best thing would to be removed the legs of the cot, and secure the now unconscious woman to it, and carry her out.

Teagus came into the room then. "There are those many black mist creatures still lurking about, My Lord, we will have to fight them to get out. I think we cleared the path through the castle though."

Sarah stopped her husband. "I will need a sword, Jareth." She said, determined. "I will not sneak along behind you. I will fight, I will protect myself."

Jareth's mouth tightened. He thought a moment, then he nodded. "Of course, My Warrior Queen." He removed his other sword and handed to her.

He hoped she was trained well enough. He would just have to trust her.

Just then Caolin swayed a little. He had been ignoring his wounds, but the pain was making him lightheaded as he tried to help lift the woman on the cot.

"Caolin!" Sarah cried. running to him. "You are hurt!"

"I will be fine, My Lady." He assured her, grimacing at the pain again.

Sarah examined his wound. It wasn't deep, but it would need healing.

"Remove your shirt, Caolin." She said.

Caolin stuttered a reply. "My lady.. I cannot, that would not be.."

"Just do it, Caolin, that is a command from your Queen." She said.

He removed his scabbards and tunic, waiting for her to do what she was going to do.

Sarah touched the wounds, tracing them from neck to elbow. They were deep but not life threatening if they were healed in short order. She figured it would take several hours, at least, to get back, if they would have to make it to the portal on foot.

Sarah closed her eyes and reached inside herself, reaching for the white light. Taking hold of it she channeled through her body, and out her hand. Her fingers glowed slightly as she moved her hand over Caolin's wounds, they all watched in wonder as the wounds started to close and heal.

When it was done, she stepped back and admired her handiwork.

While everyone else gaped at her.

Jareth was the first to speak. "Sarah..when did you learn to do that? Even I cannot heal that well. It is my weakest power, and I did not teach you that."

Sarah smiled at him. "I think it is something The Labyrinth gave to me specifically. I don't know how I knew how to do it, I just knew I could. I do believe she meant for us to compliment each other, your weaknesses are my strengths, and vice versa. She also said there is so much even you do not know about her. By the way, Your Majesty.." She stepped in front of Jareth and brushed her fingers along the cut on his temple, watching it fade and disappear.

Jareth looked puzzled. "Who? Her? What do you mean, her? The Labyrinth is female? I should have known, capricious, temperamental thing it is."

Sarah took a step towards him. "I don't think it is specifically either male or female, I think it appears to us as we can comprehend it. I will tell you all about it later, my husband. We have lots to work out when we get home. That is just one of the things I need to tell and I will save those for later."

The Goblin King said nothing, letting it lie for the moment. They had more immediate things to deal with.

Sarah went and knelt next to Perryn, placing her hand on his brow.

"Perryn?"

He opened his eyes, struggling to breathe. She knew she could try to heal him, but she felt the Summerlands calling, it was his time, so she could not interfere. He had made his choice by attempting to kill Deela.

"My Queen.." he gasped. "You are well?"

She stroked his hair, tears welling up.. "I am well, Perryn. Thank you for saving my life, Thank you for all you did, you are a hero and all shall know that you gave your life to protect us all and thank you for..." She bent down further and whispered something in his ear only for him to hear.

The man smiled up at her, and nodded weakly. 'I knew...but I had to...to take life, as a healer, is to forfeit your own..." his voice fading further.

His eyes closed, Sarah placed a kiss upon his forehead. Then as his last breath faded away, they all felt his spirit leave his body.

Sarah said quietly. "Take care of him Gaia, for me. Maybe he will meet Daddy, I think they would be good friends." She felt a affirmation come through the light, and smiled.

She asked the goblin guards to take the blanket upon the cot she had lain and wrap him in it.

"Should we take him with us? She asked out loud.

Jastiel spoke up then. "Son, if his soul has fled, there is no need. Let these ruins be his pyre. The last victim of The Golden Kingdom's arrogance and evil."

"His soul is free. It will be done as you suggest." Jareth said. He knelt next to Sarah and put his fingers to the man's head. In that lilting language of his people, Sarah listened as Jareth recited the rites of the dying and dead, she understood every word now. It was as if The Labyrinth(Or should she call it Gaia now? Sarah wondered.), when it had sent her back, gave her all this knowledge she had not had previously. She felt older, wiser, more able to be a queen, more sure of her place here. When the king was done, he gestured to the guards to cover the mans head.

"What did you say to the healer, Sarah?" Jareth whispered to her.

She just gave him another little smile, and placed her hand on his. "Later, please Jareth? Not here."

Jareth sighed. He partly dreaded the many long conversations coming, but he was also ecstatic he had her here with him to have them at all. If they made it out of the dreadful place that is, he did not yet know what nasty creatures Vergul had managed to conjure up. He would well and truly seal that portal for good after they were out of it.

Sarah picked up the small book that had been knocked to the floor. "This must be destroyed."

Jareth cringed a little at even touching the evil tome.

"Yes, we will take it with us, and dispose of it thoroughly by a magic fire. I do not want to take a chance one scrap of it remains."

"I have a thought." Sarah said. She took the cloak Deela had been wearing and tore a strip of cloth from it. then she wrapped it securely around the book both directions, and tied it to her belt, a makeshift pouch.

"Let us go." He made their way gently up the stone steps, Jareth leading the way with Sarah at his side, and Caolin flanking the queen at the king's orders. It seemed although Vergul and Deela were dead, the presence of the misty remnants of the forbidden magic was suppressing the ability to transport out of the castle, most likely designed that way to keep them trapped there. They were hoping that once clear of it, and it had been set aflame, the things would be destroyed and the transport spell might work to move them quickly to the portal.

Behind the 3 leading, Jastiel and Feran carried the cot that Justinia lay upon, with two more guards on each side.

Teagus insisted in being in charge of the 2 prisoners. As head guard for the queen he felt personally responsible for her abduction and would not let the two immortals under his watch harm one hair on her head. They each were held by 2 guards. With Teagus right behind them. If they made a move however unlikely, He would gladly strike them down.

They slowly emerged from the ruins, Each of them, swords at the ready.

Looking out over the black landscape. They knew the mist creatures were out there watching them.

Jastiel said from his place at the back of Justinia's cot "I do not know why they survived Vernon's death, they should have lost their connection to the dark magic and died with him." He said.

Sarah suddenly stopped. "Wait! She turned and went to Justinia's side.

"What are you doing?" Jareth asked.

"Maybe I can help her too." Sarah said as she put her hand on the unconscious woman's forehead.

She tried pushing the cool white energy into the woman but something was blocking her.

"I don't know what's..." She started.

In the middle of Sarah's sentence, Justina gasped and arched up her eyes wide...and beginning to turn black.

One of the guards leapt forward and held her down, as the the others set her on the ground quickly, and as gently as possible.

Jareth joined his wife at her side. "She is infected by what ever foul thing is growing within her."

Jastiel got tears in his eyes, meeting Jareth's. "If she is infected, there is no choice, is there?"

Jareth reached for the dagger at his side, a grim look on his face.

Jastiel stopped him, taking the dagger. "No Jareth, I will do it. You have already suffered enough today."

Sarah blocked Justinia's arching, gasping body.

Wait! I have an idea." She said.

They looked at her questioningly. "Sarah, if we do it quickly, her soul has a chance of going to the Summerlands. If we wait much longer, it will be destroyed." Jareth pointed out.

She took Jareth's hand. "Trust me."

She closed eyes and grasped Jareth's energy with hers, fully opening their bond. She felt his fear, his anger, his pain, everything from the past hours. Tears gathered in her eyes, but she powered on.

She laid her hand again on Justinia's forehead and then reached out to The Labyrinth. "I need you" She said out loud. "Please help us save this girl."

Justinia was hissing and growling now, the blackness taking hold.

With all her might, Sarah went within the girl's energy field and fought her way to the center of the darkness, ripping through the foul oily weave. She felt Jareth's astonishment. Then she took hold of the white magic and pushed it outward in all directions, forcing it to shine through the inky darkness, shining a light on all of it, melting the weave of evil.

As the Goblin King and Queen stood still, fighting an internal battle, the mist creatures, feeling the threat, struck the group.

The first one attacked Caolin, who quickly put it down, but there were many surrounding them, the guards fought the hissing striking creatures viciously. Jastiel shielded his daughter while the monarchs worked.

Sarah grasped the threads of evil, and pulled, snapping them one by one, pulling more white light into her and pushing it outward. Jareth, feeling what his wife was trying to accomplish, increased his energy and joined with hers in ripping the threads, striking them down with his power before they had a chance to regenerate.

There, Sarah felt it, The very center. The ball of malevolence the threads were attached to. She felt it screeching at her, trying to latch on to her, but Jareth was right behind, tearing at any tentacle of blackness that got near her.

All of the sudden she was there, and she took hold of all 3 sources of magic and light, and pushed it through the center ball, feeling holes form in it as it began to collapse in on itself.

Then finally there was an explosion of light behind her eyes, then the king's and they were thrown back, flung on the ground.

For a moment it was silent.

Sarah and Jareth got up slowly, and looked around. The mists were gone.

They looked over at Justinia, who looked to be again unconscious, at least they hoped. But she was still, her father stroking her face softly and whispering to her.

"Is she alive?" Sarah asked.

Jastiel nodded. "She breathes."

Caolin was the first to speak. "What happened, what did you do?"

Jareth was still marveling at his wife. Such power!

"I think she killed it." He said simply.

Sarah smiled a little. "WE killed it, Your Majesty."

She again took his hand and knelt next to the girl. She just wanted to feel his hand in hers. She put her hand on Justinia's forehead and gently probed her energy field, no twisting dark tentacles remained. "I do not feel anything but her. She is severely weakened, but I think she will live."

Jastiel looked up at her, eyes hopeful. "The babe?"

Sarah laid her hand on his arm. "There was no child, not really. Whatever was growing in her was put there by Vergul. It would have been a creature like him. A soulless thing created by evil. I'm sorry Jastiel."

Jastiel's mouth tightened, but he gave her a small nod in understanding.

He reached and took Sarah's hand. "Please call me Father, if you would like. Thank you...for saving her."

Teagus came to her. "Feran was bitten by one of those foul things, can you look?"

"Of course." She went and tended to the guard, who was bitten on the leg. She felt the around the goblin's aura to make sure he wasn't infected.

She stood and turned to Teagus. "I think he will be fine. Once the center of the magic was destroyed, all it's tentacles of darkness it sent out died with it. It didn't have time to establish and hold on him. She ran her hand over it, it closed partly, but it seemed the nature of the beast that had caused it would mean it had to heal the rest of the way itself. "As long as it doesn't become infected, he will heal nicely."

They all heard a voice they had not heard before. "My sister is hurt as well."

It was Elsian. The two had been forgotten about while dealing with the evil magic, and were on the ground a few feet away. He was sitting up, with his sister's in his arms. She was bleeding from a deep bite on her shoulder, to add the the rather swollen nose Sarah had gifted her with.

Jareth stood over the two. "Why should we help her?" He asked, crossing his arms.

Sarah went to Jareth side. "My love, we must because we are better than that. She will pay for her crimes, but not today. A proper trial, remember?"

Sarah examined the girl's wound. "She is not infected either, but she is bleeding badly. We must hurry."

She untied the girls arms, took another strip of the cloak she had taken from the castle ruins and brought with her in case it was needed, and wrapped a strip around Elspeth's shoulder, after healing it as much as she could. She handed Caolin a piece as well. "Go wrap Feran's wound please once we are done we can go."

Jareth announced "Without the dark magic suppressing ours, we can now transport to the portal, go through, and then transport home. We will take those two with us, I have a lovely room for them in my dungeons" He grinned ferally at them.

He turned at looked at the ruins.

"Caolin, Father, if you wouldn't mind." He said to them.

Caolin created a fire enchantment(which was his strongest element) and sent it flying at the ruins, engulfing it in green and yellow flames, a unique kind of fire that would melt the stone and any bit of remaining residue of the evil once housed there to nothing.

Sarah was beginning to feel tired, and leaned on Jareth. "I seem to be running low on energy here."

He pulled her against him, supporting her. "You also channeled a great deal of The Labyrinth's power as well, It takes it's toll. We should get back as quickly as we can. You need to rest. I do not know how long it might take you to get back to full strength, as you are so newly changed. Everyone! Gather please!"

The Goblin King created a crystal, Concentrating on making the enchantment large enough to encompass them all. He was running a bit low on power too, but not as much as Sarah, and he didn't want to tell her or she would worry. When finished, he threw the crystal up in the air where in hovered a moment, the burst outward, encompassing them all in light, then they disappeared as the ruins of the once great castle collapsed in on itself.

Seconds later they reappeared near the grove of trees.

Looking behind them, he could see the fire storm starting to spread. He reached back and untied the twins' arms then retied them together. "Guide your sister." He commanded to fearful Elsian.

"Through the portal everyone, hurry up now! I need to get this place sealed!"

Jareth swung his wife into his arms and pushed through the portal as quickly as he could. As soon as he made it through, he sat Sarah on the ground, ran back and reached he hands back into the magic opening, pushing it further apart. Out came his father and the guards carrying his sister, then Elsian with Elspeth guarded by Caolin, and lastly the rest of the warriors.

He then wove an intricate weave of magic, feeling himself weakening further but needing to finish.

He felt his father join with him."Here, son, let me help you."

He took it gladly. Working until he could pull the energy tight together and and seal the opening for all time. A few more minutes and it was finished.

The king turned to the rest. "It is done." He went and almost collapsed beside Sarah. They stared into each other's eyes, then Sarah put her arms around her husband and sighed in relief. After a few minutes she was sobbing.

Her husband held her as she cried in relief, and despair. All the fear and pain being released.

Eventually she quieted and looked up at him. "I'm sorry, I just needed to get it out. I was so frightened Jareth, I thought I was never going to see you again."

Jareth clung to her, not wanting to ever let her go again."I know."

She knew what he meant without saying. She had felt the remnant of his sorrow at thinking he had taken her life.

"Let's go home." She said.

He stood and brought her with him, and they walked to the rest of the group, who had moved a bit away from the two to let them have that private moment.

"I am afraid to say, I will need to use most of my own power to get us back to the Goblin Lands. I ask that I may draw upon on all the power here to get us there and still have enough strength to make it to my bed." They all nodded except the prisoners, whose magic was bound.

He then felt a nudge from The Labyrinth. "I will help you as well, My Keeper" I said in his mind.

He accepted.

Once more he created a crystal, and with the help of The Labyrinth, took them home.  
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It was almost dawn in The Goblin Kingdom. Most of the subjects that lived there did not sleep a wink out of worry for their King and Queen.

Moments after disappearing from the grove of trees near the now sealed portal, the party appeared in the throne room of The Goblin Castle. All practically collapsing to the floor.

Guards that had been standing by rushed forward to help them all stand, and take over carrying the makeshift gurney with Justinia on it.

Jewel and Sherryana had been keeping watch, refusing to leave the throne room until everyone returned, whatever the outcome. They both breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Sarah and Justinia being among the party, and went to help.

Sherryana put her arm around the queen, supporting her weight. "My Lady! Thank the Gods you are alright! I was so worried!"

Sarah gave her a tired smile. "I will be fine, eventually. I may need your help getting to my chambers. His Majesty and I need to rest. I promise I will tell all that happened when I am fully recovered. Please make sure Justinia gets put to bed as quickly as possible as well. Put her in The Queen's Chambers, please."

Jareth's personal healer, Merrik arrived, checking over the king. "Your Majesty, you are exhausted. I have never seen your power level this low. Guards, get him to the Royal Chamber's now!"

Jareth was frighteningly pale, but still on his own two feet by his will alone. "Merrik, I thank you. I am in completely agreement. My wife and I need to get to our bed swiftly. I need a moment though."

He turned to everyone there. "I owe all who assisted this day, a debt of gratitude that I do not know if I can ever repay. We may take comfort in the fact that such a horrible darkness has been destroyed, and those remaining will be punished." He gave the two prisoners a pointed look. "All I ask now, is that you allow the Queen and myself 2 days peace and quiet. After that, we will rejoin you, and deal with the repercussions of what has happened."

"However I have several things that need to be done. Make sure Justinia and Vernon's room is sealed until I can do a thorough examination and make sure nothing exists there that can harm anyone."

He turned back to the prisoners. "My last command is, make sure these two traitors are securely locked in my dungeon. They may be provided beds, food and water only. I will contact the council when we emerge from our chambers."

He took Sarah's hand. "Please guards, walk with us to our chambers. Once inside, we are not to be disturbed unless an absolute emergency situation occurs. Understood?"

Jareth and. Sarah, walked slowly to their chambers, leaning on each other, surrounded by guards, it was slow going, especially up the stairs, but they made it under their own power.

When the arrived at the doors and opened them, Jareth turned to the guards. "Remember what I said. No disturbances. If we need anything we will call."

With that command, he led Sarah inside and closed the doors, locking them.

Once the doors were locked, he turned to his wife, pulling her close. His emotions were starting to spill over, his stoic facade unraveling. He kissed her, tasting the sweetness he thought he never would again.

"Sarah..my love, my wife, I thought I lost you..I could not feel you..I am so sorry.." He said, not wanting to let her go.

Sarah could feel everything, his emotions and hers weaving together. "I know, my husband, Please do not apologize anymore. I am here now, and no one will ever rip us apart again. We will talk about it later."

He drew her with him to the bed. They undressed each other clumsily, but quickly. Too tired to make love at this point but wanting to be pressed together with no barriers. Jareth reached down and pulled back the covers, and laid her on the bed, then got in with her.  
They wrapped themselves around each other, kissing and stroking each other gently, whispering words of love, until first Sarah, then Jareth finally slept.

The Labyrinth looked on silently, and smiled. Her King and Queen, her Keepers, her children, finally home, finally back in each other's arms, where they belonged, where she had created them to be. The product of their loving union safely within the queen's womb.

The future assured, for all of them.


	12. Chapter 12

Sarah awoke in the late afternoon, the sun slowly setting upon The Goblin Kingdom.

She had slept roughly 12 hours, give or take, she noticed. Jareth was still wrapped around her, deeply asleep.

She moved to get up, and Jareth mumbled something and held her tighter. Her stomach was grumbling loudly, it had been almost 2 days since she had eaten, she was starving and felt certain other biological needs telling her to get up.

"Jareth, I need to get up, love." She whispered, not really wanting to wake him, but he definitely had a solid grip on her.

He moved and stretched,loosening his arms a bit, and opening one eye. "Stay with me..." He said, then closing it, His voice heavy with sleep.

"I would love to, but I'm starving and I need to use the facilities. I'll be back I promise." She told him, kissing his lips.

He loosened his hold further, allowing Sarah to slip out of his arms and get out of bed. Her legs were still a little shaky, but much better than when they got into bed. She made her way to the bath, to take care of things.

Once she had done that, she washed her face with cool water and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked tired, she hadn't seen herself look this way since she had come here. The pasts days' events had taken it's toll on her.

She stepped back and looked at her still flat belly, wondering when she would begin to expand there.

Sarah had realized shortly after she had come back to herself what exactly the ball of light Gaia had given her really was. doing a cursory self check of her energy she noticed it was still there, and also noticed it resided firmly in her womb.

Jareth had just pulled her up and was holding her when the realization had occurred. Then she went from shocked to angry.

Not only was Vergul responsible for the loss of her life, but that of her child as well. That is why she knew she was the one who had to end him, for her own peace of mind, she needed to know she had protected her child, her family, from him for good, with her own hand.

She did not hold Jareth responsible for doing what he did, she hoped he would come to understand that. She knew he did what was necessary to save all the worlds from a horrible evil that could have destroyed everyone and everything. She could never blame him, but she also knew it would take time for him to get past those despairing moments when had thought he had taken her life, he might never completely be able to move on from it.

She wasn't sure because of that, whether he would see this child as a blessing, or as a reminder that he almost lost them both at his own hand. She could not bear it if all he saw when he looked at the child was sorrow and pain.

She sighed, crossing her fingers it was the former. Nothing could be done now, this baby was coming, and she already loved it completely. It was what they had been hoping for.

Her stomach grumbled loudly again. Right now, she really needed some food in her stomach.

Sarah went back to the bed chamber and saw Jareth had fallen back into a deep sleep, so let him be. She pulled on a nightgown and her green robe, and went to the sitting room.

Sitting at the table, she softly rang the silver bell.

Ardele appeared, bowing. "Thank goodness you are home and well, My Lady." The elf said.

Sarah smiled at the little creature. "Thank you Ardele. Would you please bring me some soup and bread, maybe a plate of fruit? Oh and a pitcher of water with two glasses. I will try to persuade His Majesty to drink some when I am done."

"As quickly as possible, Your Majesty." Ardele said, disappearing.

A few minutes later Ardele returned with a tray laden with food, plates and silverware, his brother Lyndele in tow carrying a pitcher of cool sweet water and the glasses.

"Thank you, sweet elves, His Majesty and I are truly grateful for your service. You may come back later and retrieve the dishes, maybe in a hour? But please do it quietly and do not disturb the king."

The elves bowed and went back to the kitchens, happy to see their queen, and reporting to all they saw that she was truly home and seemed well.

Sarah filled her empty belly, enjoying every bite. She wondered if Jareth would be hungry and set aside a few pieces of fruit and part of her bread for him on a separate plate.

When she was done she took the plate into the bedchamber along with a glass of water.

Sitting on the side of the bed, she shook Jareth's shoulder gently. "My husband, wake up please. I want you to drink some water at least."

Jareth turned towards her, slowly opening his eyes. "I thought you were coming back to bed."

"I am, but I needed to eat, it had been almost 2 days." She informed him.

He stretched again, and slowly sat up.

He looked over at Sarah, who was hiding a giggle behind her hand.

"What?" He asked.

"You have a serious case of bedhead, Your Majesty." She said,

He smoothed his hair down as best he could, while Sarah tried to control her laughter. He usually used a bit of magic to keep it tangle free and smooth, but preferred to not use any magic for another day or two.

He gave her a sleepy grin. "For someone who has been through what you have been through, you are in annoyingly good mood." He said dryly.

"Well, I guess at some point you have to choose to laugh or cry, I choose to laugh now. We should find joy that we are together now, worse for wear, but whole. We have to move forward, my love. I know what you went through was...I don't think there are any words. We have to work through it..we WILL work through it."

Jareth pulled Sarah to him, and kissed her. "I know we will, I just.. I don't want to speak of it right now, please, Sarah, I can't bear thinking of it further. I wish I could erase what I did to you from my memory."

She took his hands. "That's just it YOU aren't responsible for what happened. The ones who are, are dead. They can't hurt us anymore. Don't let them hurt us from beyond the grave by dwelling on it. We win because we are here, alive, and together, and that we can find happiness after all that pain, only proves further that we won."

Jareth looked at her small hands in his, bringing them to his lips. "I believe I will say these words often..you are wise, my queen." He smirked at her.

She removed her hands and handed him the plate. "Now, eat a little something, and some water too. the elves brought extra."

He did as she asked, eating a few bites of bread, and pieces of fruit Sarah sliced for him while he watched, and sipped the goblet of water. He was really still very tired, but agreed that sustenance would only help things along.

When he was done, she took the plate and knife back into the sitting for the elves to pick up, but refilled the water glasses and brought them back to sit on the bedside table.

"Just in case either of us need a sip of water," she said.

She then let him lean on her so he could make his way to the bath, and waited until he came out helped him back into bed. She really didn't think he was *that* helpless really, but suspected he was playing it up to keep her with him.

Once her husband was settled, he looked at her expectantly, raising an eyebrow. "Well?"

She gave him a little half smile, and removed her robe and started to climb into bed.

"Ah ah ah.." He waggled his finger at her, the look turning a bit smarmy, his eyebrow raised, looking her up and down in a very pointed way.

Sarah sighed, and took the nightgown off, climbing naked back into bed. "You really are a dirty old perverted king, aren't you?"

"Yes, I suppose I am, when it comes to you, my dearest." Jareth said, chuckling.

I just do so enjoy seeing you naked, even if I hardly have the strength to do anything but gaze longingly upon your form."

It was Sarah's turn to laugh, as she snuggled into Jareth's side and laid her head upon her chest.

"I gave Ardele permission to fetch the plates. He knows to do so quietly."

"Mmmm.." Jareth said, his eyes closed and slipping back into sleep.

Sarah was starting to feel sleepy again herself, her stomach sated. She looked out the windows, the sun was almost fully set. She closed her eyes and quickly dropped off into slumber.

Deep in the night, Jareth awoke with a start, plagued by nightmares of what he had been forced to do.

He turned his head, looking at the back of his sleeping wife. He moved closer and laid his head upon her, listening to her breathe, feeling her heartbeat.

Who would have ever thought such simple things would fill him with joy. He felt a tear escape and fall onto her skin.

He knew she was right, that if he let the horror of what had happened overwhelm him, then Vernon would hold power over him by not letting them be fully happy. He was afraid this would make him isolate himself from her, out of fear she would always hold resentment. She said she did not, and he could not feel any coming from her...but that didn't mean it wouldn't happen.

No. He told himself, I will not let that happen. That was the old me. The man who refused to let anything break through the wall he had built around himself, who never got attached, who did his duty and was honorable, but cold and unfeeling to everyone.

She had changed all that. When she started reading the book, he was drawn to her, and watched her playacting in the park, he was fascinated by her absolute belief, and truly puzzled at The Labyrinth's connection to her..even his subjects knew who she was.

Then she called to him. At 15, not even grown, she looked up at him with those big green eyes and he felt his heartbeat quicken, his soul coming to life as he sparred with her. His spirit had known her immediately, but he could not comprehend desiring someone barely out of childhood. Not necessarily in a sexual way at the time..just wanting to be with her, be around her, talk to her, argue with her, laugh with her.

It was so confusing. It also made him angry with himself, and her, at the time...facing her in the room of stairs, he was caught between wanting to grab her and shake her, demanding how she had bewitched him, and taking her into his arms and keeping her safe from it all.

When she had refused him the despair was almost to much to bear, and yet, part of him was relieved, he honestly did not know what he would have done had she accepted his offer.

He sat up, and stared unseeing out the windows at the stars, wondering how he could let all of it go, and just...be happy again that she was here. After a few minutes, his eyelids were getting heavy again, so he laid back, and gave in to the sleep that was calling him.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Jareth.." He heard a voice calling to him."My Keeper..Goblin King."

He opened his eyes and saw he was standing on Labyrinth Hill.

A blonde woman was standing in front of him, smiling.

"Am I dreaming?" He asked.

"You are in a dream state, but I am quite real. I needed to speak with you Jareth."

"You must be The Labyrinth." He stated. "Why have you not spoken to me in this way before? After all these thousands of years. I have heard your voice in my head, seen and felt your magic, but never have you shown your face to me."

"Because now it is necessary, Goblin King. I cannot stand by and watch you destroy your relationship with Sarah. She is your soul mate, the one and only soul mate you will ever have, Jareth, do not keep yourself from her. She loves you so. Always has, even when she did not understand what it was."

Jareth walked down the hill to face the woman."I do not plan to keep myself from her. I love her too, you know, I would do nothing to harm her."

"Yet you would try to shield your feelings from her, Jareth, you should never do that. It is a slippery slope, once you start hiding anything from each other. She is hiding something from you too. Something very important, out of fear of how you will feel."

"What? What is she hiding?" He demanded.

"It is not my place to tell you that. My Keeper you have been a good king, and have guarded me well and done your duty, always. You have never shirked your responsibility to me, to your world, or to your subjects. She is your prize, the one you have always been waiting for. She truly means it when she says she does not blame you, believe her, she does not."

He looked down at his boots. deep in thought. "I know she does not blame me, but I guess a part of me wishes she would, wishes she would hurt me, punish me."

"You need to tell her that, and work through this with her, not just shove it all to the side and pretend it didn't happen. Eventually you will be able to let it go, it will take time. Fortunately, time is something you have plenty of, if you take care of each other."

He smirked at the woman, and said nothing, he could not argue with that.

"Jareth, I will tell you part of the story, to ease your mind. I brought her here *before* you stabbed her with the dagger. She was always safe."

He stared at her, he had not known that was possible. "I..I don't know what to say."

"I know it was something you weren't aware I could do. It is a one time offer I am allowed to make to my Keepers, because of your direct connection to me, and the extreme difficulty in finding those worthy of being Keepers in the first place. I was obligated to offer her a place in the Summerlands, of course, but I knew she would not take it." she put her hand on his arm.

"As you also know I gifted Sarah with a very powerful healing ability, for a safety precaution against future dangers. Needless to say, it makes her extremely difficult to kill for anyone not as powerful as either of you or myself. Once she was returned to her body, there was no way even that extraordinarily potent troll magic would have been able to break through, because it comes straight from me."

"So basically," Jareth started, "The only one who can kill her now, is myself, or you."

"Yes." The woman said. "I could not make her any stronger that that. You still have to have the power to do if it became necessary, because that is an unbreakable rule. I suspect it will never again be necessary though. She has a truly pure soul, I do not think she is corruptible by anything or anyone that dwells in any of the worlds. My beautiful child. She will be your rock."

Jareth sighed in relief. " I will tell you now, Labyrinth, if I ever have to do that again, I will turn the dagger on myself immediately afterwards."

She smiled again. "I already know that. Remember I know you better than you know yourself. You, my Keeper, my child, have a pure soul too, albeit your wife and myself will most likely be the only ones who will ever know."

"Now, go, tell her of your feelings, your fears, all of it as soon as you are able. First though may I recommend you go and worship your wife as only you can." She gave him a meaningful look.

He grinned a wicked grin. He knew what she meant, and it would be his pleasure. "Farewell, Goblin King." She said, backing away from him.

"Farewell, Labyrinth,I'm sure we will be talking again soon in some capacity." He walked back to the tree and turned. She was gone, and he closed his eyes.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jareth opened his eyes, once again looking at the ceiling above his bed. He felt..amazingly powerful. He did a check of his power, with a flick of his wrist a crystal appeared...not just full strength but overflowing, The Labyrinth must have helped him along, he surmised.

Another turn of his hand and the crystal was gone.

He turned and looked at his wife. She was sleeping on her stomach, her face turned from him. The blankets had slipped down to her below her waist, and she was delightfully nude except her dark hair wrapped around her. Just looking at the curve of her hip and round behind was arousing him.

He scooted closer to her, and ran his fingers down her back. She shuddered a little and mumbled, and turned her head to face him, but did not awaken. He lifted her hair and moved it, laying it to the other side of her body.

He kissed her shoulder then placed gentle kisses down her back, over her hip, and at the top curve of her behind,, then licked a trail back up to neck.

He moved to straddle her, but tried not place his weight on her He just lightly pressed himself against her, his hardening length against her bottom, his chest against her back. He ran his hands up her arms, and pressed his lips to her neck, savoring the taste of her skin, she tasted and smelled a little different than before, sweeter, headier, it was intoxicating..must be the stronger magic, he shrugged inwardly.

He felt her move then, and stretch a little underneath him. Looking at her face, he saw her eyes starting to open, and felt her breathing a little heavier.

"Jareth...What are you.." She said in a husky voice.

"Worshiping you, reveling in you...tasting you..relax, my love..let me enjoy this...I promise you will.." he whispered in her ear.  
He licked and suckled her lobe, feeling her tremble...she moaned a little at the sensations he was causing. goosebumps all over, then running his hands over her. He licked the skin of her neck, then nibbling and biting softly.

"Oh god Jareth..." She panted, completely aroused and ready for him within seconds.

Sarah thought she was just having an erotic dream, at first, then as she slowly came back to consciousness she realized it wasn't a dream at all, the the hands and lips on her were real. Her body instantly responded to her husband's touch, as it always did. He knew all the right spots on her body that made her crazy with desire.

"Jareth let me turn over."

He grinned as he continued to stimulate her nerves down her neck and spine with his tongue.

"No, you will remain as you are, for now. I have a plan. Just relax and feel."

He put a little magic into his fingertips and massaged her skin, making her nerve endings jump, and her body shudder and tremble. As he moved down, he removed the blanket so she was naked and prone under him.

He kissed his way down and over her full behind, kneading her flesh.

"How I love your body, my queen, perfectly rounded and fills my hands."

Sarah just moaned softly, eyes closed as Jareth caressed her. He massaged her thighs, and tasted her there. Behind her knees, and her calves, finally massaging her feet, then licking them, making her giggle and jump.

"Jareth! That tickles!" She said in a breathless tone. "Can I turn over now?"

"I will let you know. I'm not done yet." He told her. He spread her legs a bit, moving between them, and working his hand and tongue back up to the junction of her thighs. He took his hand an cupped her center, running his finger up and down the slit, then rubbing her clit gently.

"Bend and spread your knees, naughty girl. so I may reach you better." He commanded. She did what he asked, pushing her back end up a little, pressing herself towards him.

He spread her open with his fingers, and ran his tongue over her, tasting her sweet juices. "Already you are so wet for me." He took his tongue and trailed from her bud all they way around, stopping to lick her opening that was dripping with desire, then moving up over her perineum and beyond, to where her behind met her lower back, then did the same thing again, backwards, savoring every inch of her.

"A little more, precious." He said. She complied. He laid on his back and brought her damp folds to his mouth, sucking at her clit, then licking down and probing her deeply with his long tongue, letting her fluids drip down onto his face, into his mouth. Going back to stimulating her clit, he put 2 fingers inside her and moved them in and out, rubbing against the spot inside her that would put her over the edge.

Sarah was riding his tongue and fingers, her hips wiggling and gyrating. She pushed herself up fully with her hands, pressing her center more fully against his mouth. As she moved her breasts bounced and moved, her nipples hard as rocks. She began massaging and playing with them herself, unable to help it, the intense orgasm that was building driving her to it.

Her orgasm hit, and her thighs clamped down around Jareth's neck and mouth, her inner muscles grasping his fingers. She screamed his name, and reached down and held on to his head, as she rode it out.

As her climax subsided she fell forward, her behind still up in the air, as Jareth slid out from under her and laid next to her.

"Damn Jareth.. that was quite a wake up call.." She said looking over at him. He licked his lips, rolled her on to her side, and laid behind her."Still not done yet, my queen."

He turned her face to his and kissed her deeply, and she could taste her orgasm on his tongue.

He lifted her leg over his, and tipped her backside and hips to just the right angle. Then he grasped his cock and put it at her opening and pushed himself into her fully.

He felt her muscles grab on to him, massaging his shaft and he thrust into her. Then he took one hand and massaged her clit, doubling her pleasure.

All Sarah could do is hang on to his arms and hip with the one leg over his, and let go of everything else. She let her body relax and gave him complete control of the rhythm, and just went along for the ride.

He drove into her with more and more force, her head turning towards him, eyes boring into each other's, They both opened their bond fully, needing to feel that connection they could only find with each other, to wipe away everything that had happened, to know the joy of being together in such a way no one could come between them.

Sarah felt tearing welling up and spilling over, realizing how deeply he needed this, how deeply they both needed this, to find each other again. When she looked into his eyes, she saw there were tears there too.

"Let go Sarah." He said in her ear.

She was so very close. "You let go with me..Jareth.." She answered. "I'm not letting go without you."

So he did, pouring his seed into her, groaning, thrusting..and she went with him..grasping and pushing against him.

As their bodies relaxed, the collapsed against each other. Their hearts pounding. Jareth running his fingers over her.

They were silent for a while, then Sarah turned over to face her husband. Putting her arms around his neck, kissing his lips, his face.

"I love you Jareth...always, no one can ever take that from us."

Jareth pulled back and held her face between his hands. "And I love you, my Sarah..my soul mate. No matter what happens, that will never change."

She smiled into his eyes. He smiled back..then she smiled even wider, remembering something.

"I have something to tell you." She told him.

He ran his hands through her hair, then tipped her chin up to look into his eyes.

"Well? Tell me." He said.

She kissed him some more, delaying a bit further to build it up a little.

She pulled back a little."Maybe I should wait.." She said tapping her finger on her lips.

He grabbed her and pulled her to him. "Don't play games you vixen, just tell me."

She giggled. "Well..it's no big deal really, I just thought you might like to know..I mean it's a little thing.."

He kissed her hard. "Woman if you do not tell me, I will tickle your feet until I make you crazy."

She laughed loudly then, she loved getting him all wound up. His curious nature overwhelmed him sometimes.

"I suppose there is no getting around it." She said to him.

She took a deep breath, and let the words spill out of her.

"I'm pregnant."

Jareth's mouth dropped open..then closed, then dropped open again.

He sat up, turning and looking at her.

She sat up next to him, grabbing his arm. "Jareth?" Are you alright? You are happy about it right? I mean we have been saying all along.."

He grabbed her suddenly and yanked her against him, making her squeak in surprise.

Pressing his mouth to hers, shutting her up.

When finally he pulled back. " You are sure? You are definitely with child?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Let me show you."

She took his hand and placed them on her stomach.

"Let me guide you, Jareth." She implored.

She took her energy with is, and led it to feel the little ball of separate energy residing within her. He touched it gingerly at first, then let himself feel it fully. Then he felt it connect to him, as if it knew who he was automatically.

He gasped , eyes opening and meeting hers in complete wonder.

"My gods.. Sarah, that is the most incredible thing I have ever felt."

"Hey!" She said. "You better mean second most incredible thing." She teased.

He grinned widely. "Will you settle for equally magnificent?"

"I suppose." She said, she agreed with him anyway, it was pretty incredible. This little one was already powerful enough to recognize them both through it's own energy.

He got up out of bed, and offered Sarah his hand.

She stood up next to him.

"Now what Your Majesty, shall we do a happy naked pregnant dance?"

He picked her up, swinging her around. "A child, My Sarah..a child!"

He laughed, a full bodied laugh of pure joy, and Sarah giggled madly at his actions, never seeing his so purely happy. He swung her around a few more times, then sat her down.

"Good thing, Jareth, I was getting a little dizzy..not sure if that's the best thing right now."

Jareth sat down on the bed and pulled her down to sit next to him.

"Oh! I am so sorry, my love, Are you feeling okay?" He ran his hands over her.

"I'm fine, Jareth, perfectly okay. Now I know why I was tiring so easily. I imagine I'm about 3 weeks to a month along. Which means I will most likely start throwing up soon..have to say, not looking forward to that part."

Jareth stood again. "I must contact Merrik immediately, and have him look into getting a reputable midwife here."

Sarah took his hand and guided him back down. "Jareth, I think we should wait before telling anyone. Oh I will have Merrik check me out to make sure everything is good to go, but he must be sworn to secrecy until we are ready to announce it."

"But..why? This is a joyous occasion, wife." Jareth asked.

"I know, but with what Justinia just went through and...well I want it to just be our little secret for a while, you know? Give us a chance to enjoy it as a couple, just the two of us. There is plenty of time for everyone else to know and celebrate later. Just maybe another month..okay?" Sarah asked him.

He held her hand and kissed them. "If that is what you want, precious, it will be so."

"Thank you." She said to him relieved there wouldn't big a big to do over it for little while longer..she was just getting used to it herself.

Jareth stood suddenly. "I will be back in a moment, stay here." He said disappearing into the bathing chamber.

Sarah sat there, waitng for him to return. She noticed the sun was rising over the horizon and watched all the lovely color spilling across the land.

A few minutes more and he returned. He picked Sarah up and carried her into the bath, saying nothing.

He had filled the large tub with warm fragrant water, bubbles abound. Lit candles were spread throughout the room, and Jareth put out fresh towels by the side of the tub.

He lowered her into the water, then got in behind her, so she could lay against his chest.

"Mmmm..this is nice Jareth..thank you." Sarah said to him, closing her eyes as he took a sponge, put some soap on it and ran it over her shoulders and back.

"I think we were both in dire need, my love, of a relaxing bath." He answered, kissing her shoulder.

"Oh definitely." She replied. "You know what this reminds me of?"

"What" Jareth asked.

"The first day I was here, after that first night. The first bath we took together..remember?"

He smirked "Oh yes, I remember everything about that first night, and day. We will probably have to refrain from such...vigorous activity for a while I suppose."

Sarah turned at looked at him. "No we don't Your Majesty. I am fairly certain we will be able to participate in all the vigorous activity we want, at least until I get too big and fat and grumpy. In fact, I insist upon it. After this baby is here, THAT is when our..activity will be curtailed, not only because of healing time, but babies tend to have that affect on people for a while. They demand most of the attention for quite a long time. We better enjoy it while it lasts, Jareth."

"I do not want to put either of you in any danger." He said.

"I will consult with Merrik, as I'm not 100% sure about immortal pregnancy, but it can't be THAT different." Sarah thought out loud. "We just had some pretty hot sex, and you felt the child yourself, everything is good, nice and strong."

He thought for a moment. "Quite true. Let us spend this day just lounging about, precious. I already told everyone we were not to be disturbed for 2 days, so we have until tomorrow to rest. I feel full strength, and you seem to be the same, but another day's rest would do us good. We deserve it, anyway."

"Sounds good to me, Your Majesty. Now let me wash your hair, it's still having serious issues." She grinned.

She did so, and he washed hers, and after they were clean they laid there until the candles burned down, just dozing in each other's arms.

Eventually they got out, Sarah putting in a cotton shift and her robe, and Jareth slipping into loose pants and his black dressing gown.

They went to the sitting room, where Jareth had the elf cooks bring a huge breakfast. Suddenly he was quite hungry.

Srah looked at all the food he had asked to be brought. "Uh, Your Majesty, are we having 10 people join us here?"

He was already eating heartily but paused. " I assumed you might want to eat a bit more now, as you are pregnant. I thought pregnant women ate more." He looked a little puzzled.

She laughed. "Well..yes, eventually my appetite will probably increase..but I seriously doubt I'll be eating this much food in any one sitting. Besides, I saw morning sickness when my stepmother was pregnant. It isn't pretty, or pleasant. If I eat all this I'll make myself sick before I even get to that part."

"I guess I got carried away, a little. I just want to be sure you eat properly and get the necessary nutrition." He told her firmly.

As if making sure she knew he wouldn't have it any other way.

Sarah, just as firmly, said. "I will make sure, Jareth, everything will be hunky dory. I promise I will take care of myself and this baby. We will both be healthy. no need to fret over me."

He grabbed her hand."Sarah, you carry my child. You are my wife. I will fret if I want to fret. You can't change that."

She knew he would worry no matter what so she left it alone. She didn't want to argue about this now. She had a feeling He was going to one of those hovering, fidgety husbands who watched her like a hawk for the next several months, no matter what she said. That was just who he was. The only time he truly relaxed was when they had their private time. In public he was almost always serious, stoic, and firmly in control.

He then said. "I will make sure to talk to Merrik tomorrow and let him know to attend to you, and that it is between us three for the near future."

"Thank you." Sarah replied, frowning. "I wonder how Justinia is doing."

"I told Merrik to inform me if she took a turn for the worse, but as long as she was improving, to not disturb us until tomorrow. I'm sure my parents and sisters are with her." He told her.

"Your father, he seemed different after everything. I mean, after we did what we did for Justinia, he asked me to call him Father, if I wanted." Sarah said quietly.

"I know. I think I misjudged him. I have told you we aren't an emotional people, naturally. I failed to recall that he was always a good father to us. My mother, she was always a bit selfish and vain, more interested in social climbing. He was always more concerned with our well being, in his own way. The way he was with Justinia..it surprised me."

She gave him a little half smile. "You will be a good father, Jareth."

He had finished eating, and laid down his silverware. Crossing his arms, he didn't say anything for a while, looking out the window. "I hope I am, Sarah. I hope I can be more open with our children than my parents were with us. I want to. I fervently hope that is the case. "

"You will be, my husband. I know it. It may take sometime to get the hang of, but I know you will. The look in your eyes when you had your hands on my stomach, touching your child for the first time, that tells me, you won't be able to help getting caught up in it all. I also remember when you held that baby girl in your arms several days ago, and you sang to her. We are going to awesome parents, Jareth. Both of us."

She sighed then, feeling full and a bit sleepy, then yawning widely.

"That's it then, off to bed with you." Jareth said.

He stood and pulled her chair out, taking her hand and walking her to the bedroom and the bed. He waved his hand, and clean fresh linens on a neatly made bed appeared.

They removed their robes and climbed into bed, curling up together and both falling asleep quickly, relaxed from the bath and breakfast.

They slept on and off for most of the day, Sarah more than Jareth, but he would read next to her quietly while she slept. In between they talked of their future, and Sarah told him what had occurred when The Labyrinth had taken her soul to it's home and the meeting with her father.

She told him she had told Perryn thank you for saving their child, because she wanted him to know what he had done.

Jareth spoke of what he had went through, and what The Labyrinth had told him in the night. They still had to learn to deal with the terrible experience and put it behind them, they agreed though, that it would take time to put into perspective.

In the evening they dined and had another bath together.

Then Jareth waltzed Sarah around the room, conjuring up some aboveground music. She taught him the words to her favorite love song, "Wild is the wind" sang by David Bowie. She though it described them perfectly. They sang it together, and danced for hours. He taught her how to bring the music to her by thinking of it, So she could listen to her beloved song. He had to agree, it was lovely.

He also sang to her the song he had sung in her ballroom dream, all those years ago. The song he wrote for her on the spot, when he saw her in that cotton candy dress, and had danced with her that night, and looked into her eyes.

Eventually they crawled back into bed, and slept through the night, knowing the next day would be a busy one.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Early the next day, Sarah and Jareth rose, dressed and breakfasted together.

They were about to exit their rooms when Sarah stopped him.

"What is it?" He asked her, thinking something was amiss.

She wrapped her arms around him. "Just wanted another moment of alone time, Your Majesty." She said, pushing up on her toes and kissing him.

He smiled softly. Ahh..I cannot object to that, wife." He kissed her again, savoring her full lips.

Sarah stepped back, straightening up her clothing, and took a deep breath. "Okay, ready to face the day!"

Jareth opened the door, gesturing for her to go ahead of him.

Waiting in the hallway were guards, Caolin, and Sherryana.

Caolin was the first to speak. "My Lord, The council is waiting for your full report on the events in The Dead Kingdom; Perryn and Deela's demise, and your imprisonment of Princess Elspeth and Prince Elsian. They are quite insistent and wish to send and envoy here to speak with you personally."

Jareth gestured of Caolin to walk with him to his offices. He turned, squeezed Sarah's hand and nodded to her to be on her way as well.

"Thank you Caolin. I take it your abbreviated account was not good enough. Fine, Please inform them I expect a list of exactly whom they are sending, and when they are arriving. Also, I need to speak with Healer Merrik privately first thing. Please have him come to my study in one hour."

"Yes, Your Majesty, you are well?" His assistant asked.

"I'm am quite well, thank you. Full strength and fully rested." the king replied. "How is my sister?"

"According to Merrik, Justinia should be fully healed in a few days. Physically, at least, according to him. Her emotional state may be more tenuous." Caolin answered.

They paused at the door to Jareth's study, Caolin opened it and both men went in.

After the door was closed, and Jareth was seated at his desk, Caolin continued.

"Merrik believes Justiina will take a long time to heal emotionally, what with being used and betrayed by her husband in such a manner, and the loss of the pregnancy."

Jareth paused for a moment. "He is most likely correct. I will make sure to extend an invitation to her that she may stay here as long as she chooses. That reminds me, I will need you to accompany me to her former chambers to do a thorough search and completely remove any trace of that..person from this castle. We will set a time to burn any of his belongings that remain along with the book of evil magic, in a sacred fire."

"Yes, My Lord, I will go now and send the message to Merrik." Caolin bowed and turned.

"It is much appreciated, Caolin." the king said, starting to go through the papers built up over the past several days.

Caolin smiled inwardly at the king's words, thinking how much had changed these past weeks.

Such words were new to the king's vocabulary.

Meanwhile in Sarah's study, Sherryana was catching the queen up on the goings on within the kingdom, the two women setting out to straighten out a few tasks that had gone undone.

"The goblins were fairly well behaved, for goblins. They managed to only have a few small skirmishes which Caolin and myself were able to handle."

" Good, good..did the issue with the cheese maker get settled? I know he was having a thievery issue a few days ago." Sarah replied.

"They are still looking fort he culprits, but no more thefts have happened since before.. well, you know. The cheese maker suspects it was a few young goblins out for thrill seeking." Sherryana informed her.

"Most likely..who else would steal a block of aging goat cheese?" Sarah wondered rolling her eyes a little at the absurdity.

"Quite true, My Lady. May I say you are positively glowing with health today." The blonde said.

Sarah managed keep herself from breaking into a a big smile and spilling the beans, barely.

"Really? Thanks my friend. I guess some rest did me a world of good."

"Caolin told me of the remarkable ability you have been blessed with. Such a gift to have." Sherryana remarked.

Sarah stopped and thought a moment. "Yes, I suppose it is. Not going to take advantage of it though..I plan on only using it in emergency situations. It's..still very new to me. A lot to take in."

"I was running on adrenaline in a very dire situation, you know? It amazes me I didn't hurt anyone rather than help them. I guess I got lucky that everything managed to work out okay. I'm pretty amazed I even knew what to do. Must have been some sort of instinctual knowledge given to me with the power."

"You give yourself to little credit, You Majesty." Sherryana said to her.

Sarah gave he a little half smile, but said nothing. She did not tell Jareth, but she felt a little nauseated this morning. Not bad enough to need to vomit, but enough to know it was a preview of what was soon to come.

"When I am done here, I'm going to pay a visit to Justinia and check on her. Would you care to accompany me or stay here? Either way I hope you join me for lunch." She inquired to her assistant.

"I will accompany you, My Lady, if you would like." Sherryana answered.

"I would," Sarah said. "I really don't like being alone right now. I mean I know I'm never really alone, with guards lurking about behind me, but.. well you know what I mean I think. It's nice to have a companion."

"Then a companion you shall have." Sherryana said to her, reaching out a giving her hand a pat, understanding her hesitation about being alone.

Usually she would not be so familiar with a person of such stature, but Sarah made it clear that in private she wished Sherryana to act more like a friend than anything else.

They got to work, trying to clear up as much as possible before making their way to see the king's sister.

Merrik stood before the king's desk, having been summoned there by Caolin.

Jareth glanced up at him from a document he was reading. "Please, sit, Healer Merrik." He turned to Caolin. "Please leave us, I need to speak with Merrik privately."

Caolin nodded and took his leave.

"Merrik, what I am about to discuss with you is a subject that requires complete secrecy. Only myself, The Queen, and you will know of it at this time, am I clear?"

"Absolutely My Lord, I would never betray the Queen or yourself in any manner. I swear my life on that."

Jareth nodded at him. He did know. This is why he thought so highly of the man. Merrik was the best healer in the realm, and always completely loyal. He was well rewarded, good pay, with lush quarters and all the amenities.

"The Queen is with child. After lunch today you are to meet with her and make sure all is well, and she has some questions to ask you about pregnancy within our kind. you realize i'm sure the significance of this. There has never been a natural born heir to The goblin Throne, nor a child born to two Keepers."

Merrik was gaping at the king open mouthed. "Your Majesty..I..Congratulations My Lord! Of course! But if I may ask, why is this being kept a secret? Such a child should be cause for a great celebration."

Jareth knew he would be asked this. "This is the way the queen prefers it, for now. She is not very far into the pregnancy. She wishes, I think to be more secure about the situation before revealing it publicly. Also she is trying to be sensitive to Justinia's situation, with the loss of her pregnancy."

"As soon as we do, most likely in another month, we will need for a midwife to come, and attend to Her Majesty during this delicate time. no offense to you, of course, but it is tradition for such things to be taken care of by a female when it involves a royal birth."  
Merrik agreed."no offense taken, Sire, While I have certainly attended to many births, a queen should have a midwife of high stature attend to the birth of such an important child. I will send out word as soon as you give me the go ahead to do so."  
"Thank you, Merrik." the king said, "Oh, one more thing, about my sister. How is she, emotionally?"

Merrik bowed his head. He had become quite fond of the woman, the sadness in her eyes was heart wrenching."She is physically well healed, her energy is still quite low, but coming along. Emotionally, she barely speaks, and is in a depressed state. There is much sadness there. I've made sure she is watched around the clock, in case she decides to take drastic measures against herself. I do not know if she will ever be able to trust another man, a terrible pity for such a lovely woman as herself, to spend her entire life alone."

Jareth noticed a certain fondness in the healer's eyes. Ahh...he had a soft heart for his sister...interesting. While Jareth had no opposition to such a match, Merrik was good man, well respected, even though a great deal older than Justinia..his parents would look down on such a match for their daughter..at least his mother would. He was not sure about what his father would say anymore. It mightbe very difficult to find her another suitor now, once word gets out who and whatever former husband was, so Jastiel might be satisfied that Justinia found another husband at all. Regardless, it was way to soon to talk about such matters.

"Keep an eye on her for me Merrik, I trust you will make sure she gets only the best care."He told the healer.

"Yes Your Majesty." Merrik said, relieved to hear the king was showing concern for her well being.

"You may go. I will have Her Majesty meet with you in her study at 1:30." Jareth instructed him.

"Yes, My Lord. Again, congratulations." Merrik rose. "If I am to see her without a female attendant, perhaps you should be there as well."

The king nodded. "Thank you for the well wishes." Jareth said, then went back to reading over his documents, but he was finding it difficult to concentrate.

A child! He had always known eventually, whatever happened, he would be expected to contribute to the next generation. I was a duty all immortals knew was expected of them, since children were so few. This was different. Before he met Sarah he assumed he would find a suitable partner at some point and marry, then have a child or two.

He would not have made anyone else a Keeper though. Queen, possibly, but he had never met another until Sarah he ever even considered qualified for either position.

This was not a child born out of duty or convenience however. This was a child born of love, and that was an overwhelming thought, even to The Goblin King. This was a woman he would share his life with, child or no child. Her being born mortal made the chances higher, but he realized, even if she would have never gotten pregnant, he would want no other wife, or woman to bear his children.

He came back to himself, and noticed he was gazing out the window smiling.

Look at you, you git, daydreaming like you have nothing better to do. Shaking it off he got back to work. Tomorrow he was to hold court, and needed to have all these items organized.

Sarah and Sherryana knocked on the door to the Queen's Chambers, where Justinia was staying.

Jewel opened the door.

"Sarah!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around the dark haired woman in a tight hug.

"Hello Jewel. Good to see you." Sarah hugged back, then pulled back and took Jewel by the hands.

"OH Sarah, " Jewel started "I'm am so glad to see you well. We were so worried."

"i'm doing fine, sweet girl, How is Justinia?" sHe asked quietly.

"She is..very quiet, sad." Jewel told her, lowering her voice as well. "mother says we should take her home in a few days."

""Is she awake?" Sarah asked the younger girl.

"It's hard to tell sometimes, but I think so." Jewel said. " Go in and see her, it's fine. No one else is here but me now. Jolena and myself have been with her constantly. Mother gets frustrated too easily. Father sits with her too when he can."

Sarah gestured for the other two to wait while she went in alone.

Justinia was tucked into bed, awake, it looked like, but distant and staring, her red hair splayed over the pillows, hands limply in her lap.

"Justinia?" Sarah softly called. "It's me Sarah, I came to see how you are, and if you need anything."

Sarah sat in the chair next to the bed, and laid her hand over the stricken woman's.

Justinia turned and looked at her blankly. "No, I don't need anything. Thank you, for letting me use your rooms. They are nice."

"Feel free to stay as long as you, like, I never use them anyway. I guess it's tradition for me to technically have my own rooms., but really I have no need for them." Sarah tried to speak in a light pleasant tone.

"Yes, it is tradition, but since you sleep with your..Justinia gulped down a sob.. "husband..." The words drifted away to nothing, the girl wringing her hands under Sarah's.

Sarah moved to sit on the bed.

"Justinia, what happened was not your fault. You were lied to, manipulated. Jareth told me you were a shy girl, not one to go out and look to be courted. This..person..took advantage of that, took advantage of your kindness, of your shyness. Tricked you into caring for him. No one blames you for what he did. He was an evil horrible man. I know you feel betrayed, but please don't do this to yourself."

Justinia started sobbing loudly enough that Jewel and Sherryana quickly came into the room.

"I didn't...I..I wasn't madly in love with him or any such thing...but he was the only one who ever wanted to marry me...he..and now..how can I ever find another? Trust another?"

The re dhaired girl cried, and grabbed Sarah's hands, imploring Sarah for answers no one could give her.

"I just want to die...why did he...use me? I let him..be intimate with me..touch me. I knew he did not truly love me but..he was my husband so it was expected...but now..I'm alone, and used..and will have a lonely pathetic life."

She dropped Sarah's hands and turned away, throwing herself into the pillows.

"Then..when I was was with child..or thought I was with child..I don't even no if that WAS a child that was growing in me...I was happy..even though I was sick...and now it's all just..gone."

Sarah laid a hand on her shoulder, motioning for Jewel to go to the other side, and sit next to her sister.

"I do not know what you will do. I wish I had all the answers. I don't, but i'l tell you a story. When I was in college, my roommate..that is a person who you share a room with...she had an abusive boyfriend. He would smack her around, call her names, treat her like dirt. Then he would apologize and be all lovey dovey, and shef ell for it time and time again. She was such a good person, really smart. This guy though,, he knew all the right words to say, the right moves to make, to manipulate her. She was a lot like you, very shy, so she thought he was the best she would get. Eventually she did get rid of him, and met a great guy got married and had a beautiful daughter. She got lucky that she figured him out, but a lot of people don't. They let people manipulate them out of fear of being alone."

Sarah put an arm around Justinia, taking her hand again.

"You just have to hang in there, get through the sadness, and come out the other side stronger. I swear it will get better."

Sarah felt the girl's despair, and wished she could make it better, but knew she could not. Pain is one of those things that no matter how many people are there, you still have to get through alone.

Sarah got up and moved away from the bed a little. " Justinia, please don't hesitate to ask if you do need anything, I mean it, anything. I have to go, I have an appointment, but send word and I will be back if you need me to come."

The girl in the bed said nothing, just nodded and sniffled into the pillow.

Sarah turned to Jewel "Please stay here with her, no need to see us out. Make sure she eats something."

"Yes, Lady Sarah." Jewel replied, moving closer to her sister and stroking her hair.

Sarah quietly left the room, Sherryana behind her. once they were back in the hallway. Sherryana asked. "Your Majesty, do you think she will harm herself?"

"I don't know." Sarah said. "I hope not. We can only wait, and worry, and make sure someone is always with her."

The two went back to the study, where lunch was waiting for them, so they ate and talked at the same time, planning Sarah's schedule for the next several days.

At approximately 1:30, Merrik knocked on the door.o

"Come in!' Sarah replied to the knock.

Merrik stepped into the rom and bowed. "My Lady Sarah."

"OH! I almost forgot. Yes! Sherryana, I have a private matter to talk to with Merrik, why don't you deliver that message approving the kitchen budget to the staff there, while I take care of this."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Sherryana curtseyed to the Queen and left.

After the door firmly closed, she turned to the healer. i guess Jar..His Majesty explained the situation?"

"Yes, My Lady, I offer my heartfelt congratulations on the impending birth."

"Thanks, Merrik..now, I'm not sure how this works, do you need to do an..well.. an examination to check on things? I had a doctor back in the mortal world for that, obviously, but a bit confused about what goes on here, medical check up wise."

Merrik answered quickly. "You mean a physical examination? No that is not necessary at this time, I can use healer magic to do a per functionary exam, ascertain your health and the health of the child, and to approximate how far along you are. You will have a midwife to attend to more intimate necessities when you are ready to make your condition public. While I am no stranger attending to pregnancies and births, as it required to be able to do so, a Queen by tradition is always cared for by a midwife. Usually I would have a female attendant present as well, but have been sworn to secrecy by the king."

"Okay, what do I need to do?" Sarah asked him.

Just then Jareth appeared. "I apologize. I am few minutes late,"

""That's fine, since i didn't know you were coming." Sarah told him.

"It wouldn't be proper, your Majesty, for me to examine you without an attendant. Typically that would be a female attendant, but since this case is unique, The king being here was the only option." Merrik informed her.

"Oh." Sarah answered. "I guess I can understand that."

"Please lie down on the sofa, and I will simply move my hands over you, using the proper enchantments to get the information. It is quick, and painless." Merrik gestured for her to follow his instructions.

Sarah did so, with Jareth coming to sit in the chair next to the sofa, he remained silent so the healer could concentrate.

Merrik breathed deeply for a minute, then began chanting softly, moving his hands slowly from her head to her feet, stopping at her abdomen for a moment. His hands and eyes were glowing dimly, as he worked.

After a few minutes, his hand dropped and backed away, letting his magic subside.

"You are quite healthy, My Lady, the babe is extraordinarily strong already. I have never experienced such power in a child still in the womb, it is very healthy and developing nicely as well..you approximately one month along."

Sarah sat up and smiled at her husband. "See? Everything is okay."

Jareth smirked. "No matter what you say, my Queen, I will always worry."

Sarah reached over and touched his hand, caressing it lightly before pulling away. She tried to not be too blatant with affection around others. She knew Jareth was not one to be that open.

"Merrik, may I ask you a few things? Is an immortal pregnancy the same, I mean time wise, and symptoms, you know, morning sickness, cravings, as mortal pregnancies?"

"Yes, and no, your Majesty. sometimes immortal pregnancies can be unpredictable, but you are newly changed, so gestation should be about the same for you. Have you experienced any symptoms yet?"

"I have been tired off and on, and was a little nauseated today." Sarah said.

"Yes, that is to be expected. Your body will do what it needs to do to accommodate for the child. I will closely monitor your progress, then when the midwife comes, she will be able to help you further."

"Alright. Ummm. can we.. I don't know if I should ask about, but the subject has come up and I was wondering, I mean we were wondering..about, um.. being..intimate." Sarah stammered, blushing and looking at Jareth, then looking down.

Merrik grinned to himself. He could tell such a question was very hard for her to ask, understandable so. Obviously, The King and Queen were having relations, but it wasn't something openly talked about here like above, but he was a healer, and it was a necessity to be able to discuss intimate details when necessary. The King had even granted him leave to the mortal world a few times to observe certain practices. He liked to be as informed as possible.

"As long as you remain healthy and you are comfortable, most couples can continue having relations up until labor. If you experience pain or bleeding during such times, then you should cease, and contact myself or, later on, your midwife. Loss of pregnancy because of intimacy is very rare. Of course, at the later stages, you might was to refrain from anything too..vigorous."

Sarah was still blushing, but looked up and met the healer's eyes and smiled a little. "Thank you, I think that is everything I wanted to ask, for now."

"You are welcome, Your Majesty, it is an honor to serve you both." Merrik bowed.

Jareth stood. "Thank you Merrik, and remember your vow of secrecy."

"My loyalty is absolute, My Lord." He said, then turned to Sarah again. "I will take my leave now, My Lady, if I may?"

"Yes, Merrik, of course..we will meet her again in...say one week?"

"I will make note of it. Have a lovely day, Majesties." The healer then bowed once more, and left the study.

Jareth pressed himself against Sarah's back, kissing her on the neck, placing his hands on her abdomen. "You smell wonderful. Have I told your your scent has changed? It's intoxicating."

"It has? I guess I wouldn't notice those things. I wonder if it's the pregnancy, or my power increasing."Sarah put her arms over his, tipping her neck to him.

"Both I would say." Jareth answered, nibbling her skin. He placed one last kiss on her cheek, then back away from her..and sighed. "I wish I could stay, and we could continue down this path.. I am meeting Caolin to go to Justinia's former rooms, and search it. We can continue this line of conversation tonight I think." He smirked at her as she turned and kissed him.

"I still have a few things to take care of too, my love." She said as she caressed his cheek.

"Let me know what you find, if you find, anything. Please have Justinia's things gathered and sent to her in the Queen's chambers. I am worried about her Jareth. I saw her today, she is pretty bad off."

Jareth frowned. "What can we do? She will recover, Sarah. She is freeto stay here as long as she wants, I have Merrik watching over her, but beyond that, there is little else to do, but let her work through it in her own mind."

"Jareth, she is your sister, she needs us all to be there." Sarah reminded him.

Jareth sighed again. "Sarah, you know my family is not like yours. I will always do my duty to my family, and make sure they are provided for. I do not wish an ill upon her, but I do not know what you think I can do."

"Go see her Jareth..talk to her? I know what told me, but maybe it's time to change all that. Maybe we can bring this family closer." Sarah answered.

"I will see her if that is your wish, but I doubt I can lend any comfort to her." Jareth frowned again.

"Sarah, I know you want my family to be similar to the way family is thought of above, but it will in all likelihood never be for us. You, and I, and our children, we can become that kind of family here. It is doubtful most of my other kin will even want that kind of closeness. Jewel accepted, who is becoming very influenced by you."

"You say that like it's a bad thing, Jareth." Sarah remarked.

"It isn't to me, but out in society, it may be difficult for her to find acceptance among her peers."Jareth informed her.

"Jewel is a lovely young woman, and any man would be lucky to have her. Besides she is too young to worry about that now anyway."Sarah crossed her arms.

"Yes I know, she is equivalent to a young teenager, maybe as old as you were when you first came here. But, as I said, it is not uncommon for immortals at her age to take lovers and, yes, court. Purity is not so highly prized here."

"I'm not saying she should remain chaste until marriage, Jareth. I'm not that much of a hypocrite. Just my opinion, she is too young to be worrying about who she is going to marry."

"I do agree with that. She hasn't even finished her schooling yet." Jareth said. "I need to get back to work. Oh, Council is sending someone to hear our testimony against Elspeth and Elsian, and to get a full report of what happened. You might want to prepare yourself and what you will tell them. They will be here tomorrow."

"Alright, Jareth, I guess there is no getting around it." Sarah sighed. She wish she could just forget about all of it, b t suspected the aftereffects were something she was going to have to deal with for some time to come.

Sherryana returned shortly after Jareth left. "Is everything well, Lady Sarah?" she asked.

"Okay I guess, I need to work on my statement for the council people that are coming. Will you help me?"

""Yes, I will be glad to help." The petite blonde answered.

"Let's get to it then, no sense putting it off." Sarah cringed a bit at having to rehash it.

The two women set down and got to work.

Jareth and Caolin, as well as several guards, searched Vernon and Justinia's rooms, finding nothing of value, but disposing of all of the man's belongings. Jareth had a servant pack up Justinia's belongings and sent it to her current rooms.

They also searched Deela's quarters, but she had brought nothing but a small bag. They would have to inform the council that both of their quarter's at Council Hall would need to be searched, as well as Any rooms Vernon had occupied at the family home within the capital city.

The two men then went out into the forest, a built a magic fire, burning all things Vernon and Deela had brought with them to The Goblin Kingdom, as well as the book of evil magic. As it turned to ash, they watched silently. when it was done, Jareth magically cooled the ashes and spread them far and wide, so no two pieces of ash were in the same place in the realm. He was taking no chances.

Went they got back to the castle it was nearly dinnertime, but Jareth had one thing he needed to do. As he had promise Sarah, he went to see his sister.

When he entered the rooms, His mother was there. She stood as he came in. "Jareth, I hope you are well." She said in greeting.  
"I am fine. Mother. I wish to speak with Justinia, privately."

"But Jareth she is.." Illiana started to speak.

"Mother, I know very well how she is. No less than 3 people have informed me of her state. Now please leave us, but remain outside. You may come in when I leave." Jareth said to her, his mouth tightening.

Jareth stepped into the bedchamber, and sat at his sister's bedside. saying nothing for a while.

Justinia sat back against the pillows with her head bowed, feeling ashamed in the presence of her brother, thinking her must hate her and blame her for everything.

"I am..sorry. my brother." She said softly, tears forming and running down her cheeks, but she refused to let herself sob like she had earlier with Sarah.

Jareth leaned forward. his elbows on his knees. ""You have nothing to be sorry for, Justinia. We were all deceived. You most of all."

She looked up, her eyes huge and sad. "How can you say that? If I wouldn't have been so foolish..Your wife almost died because of me! Father told me what you did, what she did, saving me. You should have let me die, Jareth."

"Justina" He said firmly. and reluctantly took her hand. "do not say that. I do not blame you, Sarah does not blame you. you are my sister. It is my duty to protect my family. to save your life your soul from the darkness, I had no choice."

Justinia was surprised her brother had taken her hand, and stared at the sight of her hand in his gloved one. Such familiarity from Jareth? It was unheard of. She could not help but smile a little at the strangeness.

Jareth saw the small half smile appear. "There now, see? If you can manage a smile tonight, try to manage another tomorrow. Eventually, You will get on with things. My wife has asked me to inform you, that you are welcome to stay here as long as you desire to. also As your King here, I command that you eat. U have also been told you haven't been doing much of that either. you must take care of yourself."

Justina smiled a little wider at being commanded to eat. Now that sounded like Jareth. No arguing, just do it.

"Yes, My Lord." She said, meeting his eyes again.

He stood up and cleared his throat. " I must join my wife for dinner, Justinia, sleep well." With that Jareth left the chambers, motioning to his mother to go back in.

The next morning, the two council officials arrived, and met with Jareth, Sarah, Caolin, Jastiel, and wanted to speak with Justinia as well, but The Goblin King convinced them that was too ill to be questioned yet.

They took Elspeth and Elsian with them to be kept confined within guarded quarters at council Hall until the trial, which would take place in a week's time.

The council informed The King and queen all necessary searched of quarters had taken place, and anything seemingly related to the events were secured. although there didn't seem to be much, just some writings made by Deela about securing some odd herbs that were possibly used to cast certain spells, and a vial of the poison used on the Queen.

Vernon had been wise enough not o keep anything pointing to his heinous plans around. The King and Queen of the Elf Kingdom had also been informed and were waiting at Talystra to attend the trial of their adopted children. They were shocked and horrified at the whole debacle and that their children had been involved.

Once the council members had left taking the prisoners with them, the air seemed to lighten in The Goblin Kingdom.

They knew that they still had the trial to attend, but it seemed like everyone was getting back to normal.

After her brother had spoken with her, Justinia started to improve. She did not yet know how long she wanted to stay in The Goblin Kingdom, but knew she had to decide soon. They were all returning to Talystra for the trial, and the rest of her family would be staying there after it was over, so she needed to make a decision to come back or to stay there.

She was leaning towards staying in The Goblin Kingdom, though if she did, she would move back to her own quarters. It was accepted to stay in Sarah's room's while she was ill, but she thought it would be best to move when she returned, IF she returned permanently.

She thought maybe she could ask her brother for some sort of position in the castle. Sarah had a thought, and they had discussed it briefly, that maybe she would enjoy working in the royal library, as the castle lacked a full time caretaker there. It was sounding more and more attractive to remain within the Goblin lands, and do something useful, rather than go back to Talystra and wait for her mother to try and marry her off again.

A week later, they were all present in The Council Hall for the trial Of the Prince and Princess of The Elf Kingdom.

Sarah was in full blown morning sickness mode. Sitting in the front row of chairs between Jareth and Sherryana, she was having a difficult time focusing on the trial.

The nausea had started 3 days earlier and had barely abated. When they had transported to the gates of the city, Jareth and Caolin had had to catch her before she fell from dizziness. Then she spent the hour long carriage ride to the hall laid across her husband's lap, with his arms wrapped around her, observers be damned.

Merrik had done a full checkup before they left and pronounced her perfectly healthy, just beginning the throes of pregnancy. Regardless, They were concerned at the strength of her symptoms. The Healer believed it was because of the power the child held, and that her body would adjust and her equilibrium would return.

It was becoming difficult to hide from everyone, and Sarah suspected Sherryana had figured it out, as she had taken to bringing Sarah ginger tea and plain biscuits to nibble on. The woman was nothing if not discreet however, and said nothing.

Each witness had to stand and answer the questions the members of the council asked. When it was Sarah's turn, she stood up, shaking a little, but determined to remain on her feet. They went in order of position, with Jareth after her and the last to testify.  
She told what had happened, from being called to Justinia's side, until they had returned, only leaving out her visit with The Labyrinth and what had happened when her and Jareth had killed the darkness and saved Justinia. They all had agreed it was best the council not know the extent of Sarah's gift, and the newly discovered aspect of The Labyrinth itself.

"Your Majesty, "One of the council members asked her. "May I ask, what punishment would you enact against The Prince and Princess? If it were up to you to decide, that is."

Sarah took a deep breath. This is where her and Jareth disagreed. Jareth wanted them executed, but Sarah did not. She hoped there was some other way to assure they would not repeat their actions, and be punished, but she did not want them to die.

More over, She saw their parents sitting there, in such pain, and could not reason doing that to them. No matter what, they were someone's children. She simply did not want anyone else to die. Also, she did not want to watch anyone else die, and if they were executed, it would be expected that they would all be there.

"I would suggest they be stripped of their magic, and confined to their kingdom, for a set period of time. If they are suitably rehabilitated in say, 300 years, a small amount of magic be returned, and they be allowed to enter society again. However, if they then attempt to harm anyone again, well, I cannot say that death would be out of the question then, as they would have proven themselves to be a danger to others. Although they conspired against my kingdom, my husband, and myself, in the end, I do believe they did not realize the extent of the avarice they were participating in until it was right in front of them."

Jareth's frowned to himself, but he knew what she was going to say. They had already discussed it. Loudly.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. We will take your mercy into consideration." The council member who had asked the question answered.

There were many murmurs in the hall, no one expected anything but a demand for execution from both The Goblin King and Queen. All other monarchs in the room had agreed it was what they would have done.

"Are there any other questions for The Goblin Queen?" The head councilperson asked, an ancient Elf with blue hair. The question was met by silence. "Please sit, My Lady." He said kindly to her, noticing she was swaying a little.

"Jareth, King of the Goblins, please rise." The elf said.

Jareth stood, having worn his formal armor, to look as intimidating as possible.

"We have your statement, and there is a question that has risen among us. You state you were forced to end your wife's life, as demanded by Keeper Law, and yet, she somehow makes a miraculous recovery. This is...rather odd. Can you explain further?"  
"I do not know the mechanics of it, honorable Council, I am no healer. It is our collected belief the The Labyrinth stepped in somehow, and was able to save her life and cut off contact between itself and Vergul. It's power is still such a mystery to us all."

It was the truth, but left the pieces out that Sarah and Jareth both felt should not be known to anyone who was not there, and that The Labyrinth did not want anyone besides them to know.

"I see. Tell me, Goblin king, what punishment to you deem suitable?" Another member asked.

"I believe they should be summarily executed. My wife has a kind heart, but I think given a chance they would happily do it again. I do apologize the The Elf King and Queen. They are kind people and good neighbors whom I bear no malice to. Truth is truth. I will not waiver in my stance."

The murmurs started again. This was what they expected of The Goblin King.

The head councilperson nodded, making notes. "Any further questions for The Goblin King?"

Again met with silence. "Please be seated, Your Majesty."

Jareth sat back down looking at his wife. Even though they disagreed, she took his hand and squeezed it slightly. She understood why he felt the way he did, even if she didn't agree.

They were all excused, and the hall cleared. All parties were given overnight accommodation, in case it became necessary, so Sarah, Jareth, and their group took advantage of it by going to their assigned rooms. Of course Jareth's family, who attended the Council frequently had permanently assigned rooms.

Merrik had also traveled with them, to attend to both Justinia and Sarah. When the king and queen got to their rooms, Jareth commanded everyone leave them, so Sarah could rest. He told all that the trial was upsetting to her, which it was, but it was a good cover for her needing to lay down for as long as she could.

Laying on the bed, she watched as Jareth eat the lunch that was brought to them..she had Sherryana packed some of the ginger tea and was waiting for her to bring her a cup.

"I really wish you would try to eat something, Sarah." He said to her from the table.

"I want to, husband, I really do, but my stomach is doing flip flops. I think it is nerves on top of nausea. Ugh. This kid of yours is torturing me from the inside." She answered, rubbing her stomach.

The king smirked. "I do believe you were present at conception, love."

Sarah rolled her eyes."Yeah yeah yeah..men. Doesn't matter if the mortal or not..they just don't get it. Just wait until I'm big and fat, and full of hormones all at once. You will get yours then, daddy."

Jareth had finished eating and made his way to the bed, laying next to her. "Oh I'm sure I will..get mine..as you say. If you weren't feeingl ill, I would get mine now." He said, giving her that look that made her think of a lion stalking it's meal.

Sarah rolled her eyes again. "Oh yes Your Majesty, I'm feeling sexy now...tell me, is it the constant vomiting, or the dizzy spells that make me stumble around like a drunken monkey that turn you on?"

Jareth laughed, deep and long. He did so appreciate her unique humor. "Ahh..thank you my love, for the laugh. This day has been hard on all of us, the tension and seriousness, getting to even me."

She observed him with a cynical look, raising one eyebrow in a gesture so like her husband's. "Yeah, well I was serious..but whatever floats your boat there Jareth."

He laughed even harder..and she couldn't help but start to laugh a little herself, at his rare display of jocularity. "Jareth, you are a nut, seriously, sometimes I wonder about your sanity."

He wrapped his arms around her and had her lay across his lap and stroked her hair, his chuckles subsiding. "Yes, my love, I agree, at times. However I have never declared myself completely sane, nor do I believe I am. I have mentioned this before, ruling a kingdom full of rather eccentric creatures will do that to you."

Sarah smiled, raised up, and looped her arms around him, pulling him into a kiss."I think I feel a little better, you are nothing if not entertaining. some of my nerves have settled too. I feel bad though, this is a serious thing here."

Jareth's grin melted away. "I know it is. Promise me, whatever happens, we will present a united front, and accept whatever ruling the Council hands down."

"Do you think they will be executed?" Sarah asked him.

Jareth thought a moment before answering."I do not know. You know why I have to be a proponent of the maximum punishment Sarah, to stand and declare any less would be a sign of weakness...and I do not feel any mercy for those traitorous vile people. I will accept if that is not what is handed down. not happily, but I will accept.

Sarah frowned. "I just don't want to go to it, Jareth. I can't. No matter what, Seeing someone ...beheaded..I can't watch it. It seems so barbaric."

"It is, Sarah."Jareth answered. "But we don't have the options that are available aboveground. Any other form of execution here would be torture and take time, or involve magic that is forbidden to wield. While I am not opposed to that for those nasty pieces of work, it's the only form that is as quick as possible here."

Sarah got a sad look on her face, making Jareth's heart soften a little. "I promise I will try to convince the Council that you do not need to be present. Maybe they will accept that you are ill. If we told them about the pregnancy it would be easier to get them to excuse you. As long as I, My father, and Caolin, are present if it does indeed come to execution, that should satisfy them. Justinia has already been excused. Women can get get excused easier than men. Males here are expected to learn to view such events when necessary."

"I would prefer not to announce hit here and now, but if it comes to that, I suppose I have no choice but to let the council know. I think Sherryana knows." Sarah said.

"Most likely. I suspect Caolin knows as well, he gave me an odd look at the city gates today when you fell into our arms. They spend enough time around us to sense the changes." Jareth replied, kicking off his boots and reclining on the bed.

"Let's wait and see what happens." Sarah said. She curled up at Jareth's side and dozed off.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in" Jareth said quietly. Sensing who it was.

Sheerryana stepped in with a tray, with the tea and stopped when she saw them on the bed.

"Oh, I am sorry for disturbing Your Majesties." She said, blushing a little.

Jareth smirked. "You are not disturbing us, Sherryana, The queen is fast asleep. Please put the tray on the table, she can have it when she wakes. I will just warm it with a little magic if needed."

"Yes, My Lord." Sherryana quickly did as Jareth told her to do, curtseyed and left the room.

Caolin was waiting for her as she closed the door. "Well?"

"The Queen is sleeping, Sir Caolin, I get the distinct impression they do not want to be disturbed further."

Caolin took her aside and whispered. "Do you suspect what I suspect?"

Sherryana grinned at him, her eyes alight. "Yes, it is more than a suspicion."

Caolin grinned back. "Are you sure?"

Sherryana met his eyes "A woman knows these things, Caolin. We must let them decide when it is time for to make it known publicly. If they are keeping it to themselves, they have good reason."

Caolin took her hand in his joy for the King and Queen. "Soon there will be much celebrating in The Goblin Kingdom." Caolin escorted Sherryana to her rooms, to await a summons from the council.

2 hours later, it came. The council was handing down their decision in 1 hour. Giving all parties time to get to the hall.  
Jareth woke his wife. "Sarah, we must get ready to go to the hall."

Sarah blinked, stretched and yawned. "Already? Is that a good sign or a bad sign?"

"It is hard to say. I warmed your tea, so drink it and eat a biscuit or two, then we will be on our way." Jareth answered.

"If the decide too...I mean, how long will it be until they.."Sarah had a hard time saying the words.

"It will be first thing in the morning, Which will require us to remain overnight. Or, at least those of us who will be there. If you can get an exemption, I will take you home and come back." Jareth told her, understanding her need to be away from the situation.

Sarah sipped her tea. "No, if it comes to that I will stay here with you. Even if I can't make myself go, I don't want to leave you alone, and I don't want to sleep alone right now." She sounded a little whiney even to her own ears. Damn hormones.

Jareth pulled his cape, boots and gloves back on, and straightened his clothing.

"If you insist, I would prefer you to be near me at this time anyway. I do not like how sick you have been. Even if it is supposed to be normal."

Sarah's nausea had relented, the nap and the tea had helped a great deal. She did feel her nervousness coming back though.

She finished her tea and managed to eat several of the plain biscuits. She noted to herself, while they called them biscuits here, they were more like thick saltines. Whatever they called them, they did help.

She went to the mirror and brushed her hair, then smoothed her dress and slipped her shoes back on.

"Alright, husband." She sighed. Let's do this."

They left the room, finding everyone waiting for them in the hallway.

Sherryana stepped forward. "Feeling better, My Lady?" she asked.

"Yes." Sarah replied. "I do feel much better. Thank you for the tea."

"You are welcome, Your Majesty, it is my duty to serve you." The blonde replied, but gave her a small wink.

Sarah smiled at her gesture. They had to play the roles of queen and servant in public, but they were to the point were Sarah considered the woman to be her very dear friend, so they devised little private signals to give each other to make sure they knew it was just playacting to them.

Sarah turned and took her husbands offered arm, and the group made their way to the hall.

They took their places in the first 2 rows, across from The Elf King and Queen and their party.

Elspeth and Elsian were brought in to stand in front of the council, hands bound behind their backs, and heavily guarded.

The head councilperson stood.

"This was not an easy decision. We do not take the ending of any life lightly. Our people, while numerous, are not so many that we can afford to throw life away with little thought."

"However, you both knew that participating in acts of such an abominable nature were against every law held sacred here. Not only did you attempt to kill a Queen of this realm once, you then participated in her kidnapping, and used a magic so evil it has been pronounced forbidden here.

You attempted to raise the dead black souls of those who suffered so greatly thousands of years ago,, which not only is against the laws of magic, it could have reigned death and destruction upon not only our world, but ALL worlds. Including the mortal world, which would have been especially defenseless against it's power.

You participated in the attempt to corrupt A Keeper of The Labyrinth, the most sacred power in all the worlds, and joined in a plot to kill The Goblin King himself."

The elf cleared his throat.

"It is decided, that you Elspeth, High Princess of The Elf Kingdom, be executed at sunrise tomorrow, for the crimes of attempted murder of The Goblin Queen, not once, but twice, kidnapping of The Goblin Queen, attempting to corrupt and/or murder The Keepers of The Labyrinth, Jareth, King of The Goblins, and Sarah, Queen of The Goblins, and for the use of forbidden magic. May The Gods have mercy upon you in The Summerlands."

The white haired woman sobbed quietly to herself. The King and Queen of the Elf Kingdom wept openly.

Sarah even teared up, and Jareth looked on, showing little emotion.

"It is decided you, High Prince Elsian, shall be stripped of magic, and be confined to The Elf Kingdom for no less than 500 years, For kidnapping and attempted murder of the Goblin Queen, and for the use of forbidden magic."

The crowd was murmuring loudly, they did not expect to different sentences.

"Quiet please, I will explain." The councilperson said. The din quieted.

"Prince Elsian, in the end, your sister did the right thing. She asked to see us privately not 2 hours ago. She confessed that she had to convince you to participate, and while you went along, your knowledge of what was going to take place was limited, and that you did not know she was planning on poisoning The Goblin Queen in this very hall."

"Therefore we chose to show you mercy, as we believe there is hope you may serve a purpose in this world, and do something decent with your life. Your sister has given you your life. Do not waste it."

"You will be confined until the morning, then after the execution, you may return to The Elf Kingdom with your family. Remember, You will not step one foot outside the Elf lands, or you will join your sister. You will also be required to do public service in The Elf Kingdom. We will expect a list of services be provided to go over and decide where you might do the most good there for your people. As I live there, I will oversee this part of your sentence personally."

The pale haired young man also wept, in sorrow, and relief.

He was allowed to embrace his twin, and would be allowed along with the rest of her family to spent this evening with her in her quarters. They were led away from the hall, The King and Queen of The Elves following.

"Goblin King, Goblin Queen, please rise." The elf said.

Jareth and Sarah stood. Jareth took Sarah's hand in his, giving her a nod and smile in reassurance.

'It is my sincerest hope you are satisfied with the outcome. I have received a request from your party, that Lady Sarah, Queen of the Goblins, is ill and wishes to be excused from viewing the execution. Is this correct?"

"Yes, Honorable Head Councilperson." Jareth spoke loud and firm.

"What say you, Goblin Queen?" He turned to Sarah, waiting for her reply.

"I have been ill the past several days, Honorable Head Councilperson, and do not think I will have the strength, either physically or emotionally to attend."

Plus, she said to herself, I really really don't want to. Elspeth was major bitch and she would gladly love another shot at her, but watching her die was not going to help her feel better, or help get over what had happened.

"You are excused from attending Your Majesty. It is noted The Goblin King, his father, Duke Jastiel, and his assistant Sir Caolin, will represent The Goblin Kingdom at tomorrows execution. The Duchess Justinia has already been excused, also due to health matters." The elf announced.

Sarah breathed a huge sigh of relief. She wasn't looking forward to staying here for the night, but at least that much was a big load off her mind.

"The trial is now done. You are excused to retire for the evening, All who are expected to attend will receive formal notice, then shall convene tomorrow at sunrise here, and walk to the execution yard in formation. please wear formal attire."

The crowd filtered out. Then guards led any royal attendees to their rooms or carriages. Lastly, The Goblin Kingdom contingent left, solemnly making there way to their quarters.

Sarah did a good job of holding her tears in until Jareth closed the door behind them. She turned to her husband, tears streaming down her face.

"God, Jareth, please tell me we will never have to go through this again. I know I should feel justified, but I don't, I feel horrible for those people. At least they will have their son, but..."she could not speak any more.

Jareth held her tightly to him. His sweet Sarah, such a heart she had. She was so strong, but he knew her kind, soft insides so well now.

He did not feel a bit sorry for the shrew of a Princess, but Sarah, his beloved.. he understood this was who she was. He would not want her any other way. As Caolin had said weeks ago, She was the heart of his kingdom now, and what a pure heart it was.

"They will recover from this, precious. They are strong people. I am surprised Elspeth could commit any act of kindness. I guess Elsian is the only person in this world she cared about enough to do that for." He spoke into her hair.

He kissed her forehead, and wiped her tears away. "It is my sincere hope we never have to go through anything like this again as well. I cannot make that promise though. Let us just work very hard to keep it form happening again."

She nodded. but remained silent.

"Alright, I am going to send for some dinner, then you are going straight to bed. I will not wake you in the morning." He told her. He silently hoped she would sleep until they returned from the execution.

So they dined mostly in silence, then Sarah changed into a nightgown and crawled into bed. Jareth stayed up for a while, quietly thinking of what was to come, and going over the days events. Finally he changed into his sleeping pans and got into bed, holding Sarah to him tightly as he slept.

He awoke an hour before sunrise, quickly bathed, dressed and ate a light breakfast. He didn't eat much, what with the unpleasant task before him, making his stomach tight. Sarah was sleeping soundly thank the Gods, he said to himself.

He stepped into the hall, where his guards, and Caolin, were waiting for him. They then went and met Jastiel at the doors to The Council Hall.

Jareth steeled himself. looking at his companions. "Alright, let's get this unpleasantness over with, so I can take my wife home."

The doors were opened for them, and they went inside to make meet the others.

When it was done, the party of The Elf kingdom was escorted to their home, taking the body of Elspeth with them for her funeral rites, then her ashes would be interred in the family crypt.

Jareth returned to his rooms, finding Sarah up, and drinking tea.

"Good morning Sarah, how are you feeling this day?" Trying to keep his tone light.

"Jareth, no need to beat around the bush. Is it done?" She asked frankly.

He hesitated. "Yes. It is done. It was very quick. They are back in the Elf Kingdom. Elspeth will be given proper rites there."

Sarah nodded, but said nothing. There was really nothing more to say.

Sarah had bathed and dressed when she had awoken. He mind going to the events happening close by. She tried not to dwell on it, but it had proven difficult. She had packed their belongings as well, to pass some time.

She finished her tea in silence. Jareth sitting across from her lost in his own thoughts.

"Can we go home now? I don't want to be here any longer." She finally asked.

"As soon as we are ready, the carriages are waiting to take us to the gates. We will be home within 2 hours." Jareth answered.

"Good, then let's go. I packed our bags." She reached and grabbed his hand, pulling him up with her.

"As you wish, precious, I wholeheartedly concur. I will have the guards carry them down." Jareth replied, looping his arm around her waist, and walking to the door, out of the hall, and home they all went.

Back to The Goblin Kingdom, looking towards their bright future, letting the darkness of the past slip into memory.


	14. Chapter 14

A month later, The King and Queen of the Goblins formally announced the coming of their first child. There was a huge celebration and ball both in the Goblin Kingdom, and at the capitol city of Talystra, with gifts and well wishes pouring in from all over the realm.

Jareth had to assign a staff and rooms to accommodate all the gifts. The ones that weren't alive anyway.

The unicorn gifted to the By The King and Queen of The Twilight Forest from their personal herd, was built it's own stable and assigned it's own caretaker.

Sarah had almost fainted at the sight when it first appeared, as she had no idea unicorns even existed.

Justinia had chosen to stay on at The Goblin Castle, and was made The Royal Librarian. It was a quiet job that she greatly enjoyed, as it granted her much solitude.

She also chose to move back to her rooms, to give Sarah and Jareth more space, plus, even though she wouldn't ever say it, being around a very pregnant Sarah was a still a bit painful for her. Sarah tried to be understanding of that, and let her have time to heal.

Caolin and Sherryana announced they were officially courting. Sarah was thrilled for them. She was looking forward to having another married lady around the castle. She smiled watching them walk around together, touching hands, occasionally stealing a kiss. It was so sweet.

The midwife arrived, an ancient silver haired woman Moirah, who had attended Jareth's own mother during all her pregnancies.

She was thought as the best midwife in the realm, and Jareth would not have any less overseeing the birth of his child and the care of his Queen.

Sarah at first, was unsure. Moirah was very stern at first, bossing her around. She discovered after a time, that while all business when it came to her position, she had a sweet side and a wicked sense of humor.

She had helped birth hundreds and hundreds of children, of all species and stations, even the occasional human, So Sarah could not dispute her qualifications.

She wasn't shy and would answer a question about any subject, no matter how embarrassing to ask for Sarah. Eventually Sarah was grateful to have her to go to.

As the months passed, Sarah's body did adjust to her pregnancy, and the morning sickness subsided.

Sarah, now 5 months pregnant, had to forgo her training for the time being. In fact Jareth insisted she stop hand to hand all together as soon they had discovered she was with child, but he did relent and still trained her with the sword until she had started to show.

So now she was restless, and paced around the castle. She wasn't good at this whole "lady of leisure" thing.

She made her way down to the gardens. Her gardens, that Jareth had had created for her. She loved it here, being outside in the sunshine.

Hoggle was there, watering the bright green roses now called "The Queen Sarah" rose. It had appeared withing in the garden a few weeks after she had been here and the garden was being constructed. No one was certain, but Sarah had a feeling The Labyrinth had created it.

"Good day Hoggle!" She said, happy to see her old friend.

"Afternoon Lady Sarah!" Her replied in his gruff manner. "Hows the little 'un girly? Goin' to be a pip that one. Gives you and the King quite a time. Specially if the babe is like you."

"The baby is doing wonderful Hoggle" She said smiling at him, rubbing her expanding girth. "Only a few months to go. Wish the time would move a little faster. I'm anxious to get back to normal."

Hoggle laughed his barking laugh. "Gets used to nothin' bein' normal again...at least the way normal was. Normal? Hah! Ain't no normal anymores Sarah. Babes take normal and flip it upside down and inside out."

"How do you know, old friend?" She wondered.

"I has been 'round babes my whole life. Comes from a big family I does. I was the oldest too. Dwarves have lots and lots o' babes, dozens. My kin is spread all over the realm. We ain't so infertile as yer and Jareth's kind, There are lots less dwarf families to begin with, maybe a hundred or so, so all the families are big. Took care o' more than my share of babes" Hoggle informed her.

"Really? Hoggle you've never told me that." Sarah was surprised at this information.

Hoggle shrugged. "Ya never asked. Not important anyways." He continued watering flowers as they talked.

Sarah sat on the bench that was placed nearby, already a little tired from the walk. "It's important me, my friend. Someday I would love to hear all about your family."

"Nothin' special 'bout my family, Sarah." He noticed Sarah's frown, and didn't want to upset her. "But if you want ta hear about 'em, don't mind tellin ya. sometime."

He noticed Sarah was a bit weary. "Best be gettin' back inside there, girly. Expectin' ladies need rest."

"I know." Sarah said. "I just get tired of getting tired.. you know?"

"Enjoy yer rest while you can. That babe is going ta run you ragged in no time." Hoggle told her, shaking his finger.

Sarah enjoyed the sun for a few more minutes, watching Hoggle work his way around the roses.

She stood slowly. "Well, I guess you are right, I feel a nap coming on. Ugh. Have a beautiful day!"

She made her way back to the castle, and to her study.

When she went in, she noticed Sherryana wasn't there. So she went a grabbed a book she had been reading and laid on the large sofa in front of the fireplace.

Originally it had been a fancy velvet thing that she found so uncomfortable, and not her style at all. So she had used a bit of magic to create this thick overstuffed aboveground style sofa, much like the one she had when she lived there. If had become a favorite afternoon napping spot the past couple of months.

As she laid there curled up, she noticed the baby was moving around quite a bit.

Her mind went back to the first time she had felt the fluttering feeling,. She had been in bed, just drifting off, when she had felt it. She sat straight up and gasped, hands holding her abdomen.

Jareth, who was sitting is his favorite chair reading, had jumped up and was by her side in a flash, his eyes wide and worried.

"Are you alright?" He had asked. putting his hands over hers. "Is it the child? Tell me."

She looked up and a smile had spread across her face, saying nothing, waiting to feel it again.

"Sarah? Please, tell me?!" Jareth had said again.

She met his eyes and said simply. "It moved, Jareth."

He had sagged with relief at first, then stopped. "Wait, Moved?" The babe moved? I want to feel!"

Then she felt it again, and moved his hand to the place on her belly the sensation was coming from.

The look on his face that moment was priceless. She had wished right then she a good old fashioned aboveground camera. It was etched in her memory though. It was the most innocent look she had ever seen on his face, total childlike wonder at the sensation of his child moving within her womb. Then he smiled, and laid his head upon her belly, speaking in that lilting language, then singing. They had stayed that way for at least an hour, until the baby's movements had subsided.

Ever since Jareth had been fascinated with her growing belly and the child within. Sarah found it profoundly charming and sweet most of the time...there where those times where it was really really annoying, she couldn't help it. She didn't want to be annoyed, but it seemed her hormones had a mind of their own these days.

Being all warm and snuggled into the couch, she soon drifted off to sleep, her book slipping to the floor.

She awoke to the sensation of someone stroking a finger down her cheek. Eyes flitting open, she looked up to see Jareth watching her, in that head cocked to the side, owl like expression he had.

He didn't shift very often anymore, typically it was a form he took to travel aboveground, as it took less energy to fly above than it took to transport, but occasionally he would crave the freedom of flight, and he would shift and fly around his lands, just observing everything, noting anything needed to be taken care of.

It was also a good way to watch something unnoticed that someone might not be wanting him to know about. Like goblins getting into mischief.

She had personally only watch him do it twice, the first time at the end of her first visit, was almost painful to think about, and the second shortly after she arrived, he had simply needed to fly, so at sunset he had kissed her, then shifted and took off into the sky as she watched with a smile. She hoped to someday join him, but she wasn't sure if she would ever be able to shift, or if she did, if an owl would be her form.

When he looked at her in that way, it always reminded her of that night, before she ran home in the rain, Jareth in owl form watching her playacting in the park.

"Sleep well, precious?" He asked.

Sarah yawned and stretched. "What time is it?"

"We still have a hour or so before dinner" Jareth said, making his way over to sit next to her, as she sat up.

"Good, I'm hungry tonight." She answered, leaning into him. "But my feet are puffy and sore. I think I walked too much today."

"You need to relax more, love, you are getting too far along to go wandering around everywhere now." Jareth said, sounding a little chastising.

Sarah sighed loudly. He was right, it bugged her to admit it to herself, but he was.

"Here, my wife, put your feet up, I will massage them for you." He commanded, removing his gloves.

She did as he said, but glared at him a little. Apparently this is one of those "being annoyed" times. He did give excellent foot rubs, so she relented and let him do it, her feet hurt to much to argue at the moment.

She let herself relax and enjoy his hands on her feet, kneading them gently. He must have added a little magic into it, because then pain went away pretty quickly.

She moaned softly, closing her eyes. Something about his hands on her always made her feel a bit like a pile of jello, she never told him that, as she doubted he knew what jello was.

"Feeling better, love?" he asked. His hands were now wandering up her legs, under her dress.

"Yes, so much better...but..where do you think you are going, Mr Handsy?"

She opened her eyes and looked down, meeting his eyes. He smirked at her..picking up her foot, and trailing his lips over toes, then up her foot and leg.

"You are positively luscious, Sarah..." He murmured, nibbling on her knee.

She reached down and ran her fingers over his hair, so downy soft. "I love you, but you really are insane. I'm huge and expanding hourly."

Jareth moved to lay next to her, kicking off his boots. He ran his hands over her curves, then her rounded belly. She turned to see him better, laying on he back while was on his side, his eyes taking her in.

"I think you are as irresistible as a sweet ripe peach. Maybe I will take a taste." He bent down and kissed her thoroughly, sucking on her lips.

Sarah felt his arousal pressing into her hip. "Really? wow..nice to know even waddling around like a duck, I still got it." She grinned.

He laid his head next to hers, moving her dress down and kissing her shoulder "Oh, you most definitely still have it, any time you like, you can still have it." He said wiggling his brows.

"That's not what I meant, you horny old king." she said laughing.

Jareth sat up a little and shrugged off his jacket, getting more comfortable. He worked the lacings of the dress she wore. She had foregone corsets a month or so before, having crafted some loose dresses to accommodate her growing belly. So her dress was of an empire cut, the top lacing up over her breasts.

"Jareth...here?" She breathed into his ear.

"Why not here, it's as comfortable as anywhere else." He pushed the top of the dress down, exposing her even fuller breasts to him, He ran his fingers over them, then gently circled her nipples, knowing they had grown even more sensitive than before.

"But what if Sherryana comes in? Sarah gasped out, as her husband toyed with her, causing sensations that make her whole body tingle.

He waved a hand and she heard the door lock. "There now, no one will disturb us." He took a nipple into his mouth and suckled, driving her need higher.

Sarah had been shocked to find as the months went by, Jareth only seemed to be more attracted to her, if that was possible.

He told her, he could smell her hormonal changes, and he seemed to be addicted to her scent and taste.

Moirah had confirmed for her that it was indeed a common thing in their kind, once bonded an immortal couple could sense, smell, even taste subtle changes in each other, and that fluctuating pregnancy hormones like hers could be especially potent to her husband.

She also told Sarah she should feel lucky because of it..it would only further bond them to each other. She gave her the advice to enjoy it now because having babies will limit the alone time she will be able to enjoy with her husband, and that as long as she was healthy, her pregnancy wouldn't interfere.

Jareth slid her dress down further, kissing the beginning of the rise of her abdomen. Then he sat up a little again and tugged his shirt over his head.

He helped her sit up a little so she could get her dress off, then laid her back down, pulling her leggings down and off, leaving her gloriously naked before him. His eyes roved over her taking her full breasts, her widened hips, the small round bump where his child was safely ensconced.  
"You look like an earth goddess, my wife." He felt himself grow to full hardness just viewing her.

He took his pants off, setting himself free, and laid down next to her, meeting her eyes, cradling her to him and kissing her breathless.

"Jareth.." she moaned, as he let his fingers play over her folds, slipping between, stimulating her, rubbing the center of her desire, making her shudder.

He buried his face into her neck breathing her in, feeling how slick and wet she was.

She reached for him, taking his shaft in one hand she could feel him throbbing, she did not want to wait any longer.

"I need you inside me..Jareth.. oh god.."

He got up and placed himself between her legs, putting them over his shoulders. They had had to find different ways of lovemaking lately, this was one position they both enjoyed very much, especially Jareth, he had a most arousing view of seeing himself inside of her, and being able to watch her come undone beneath him.

He slid himself inside of her body, loving how incredibly tight her hold on him was, how her channel grasped onto him. Then he began thrusting gently, always taking care to maximize her pleasure and not let himself get to vigorous in his movements. Only she had ever given him this level of excitement.

"Sarah..you are like velvet against me.." He closed his eyes and tipped his head back, relishing the feel of her..getting a solid hold of her hips.

Sarah felt like she was melting from the inside out. Jareth found the right rhythm and kept a firm, but for him, fairly gentle pace. She grabbed a hold of the armrest above her head, and undulated her lower half against his thrusting hips. Moaning his name, she began a steady rise to her peak.

Using his leverage, Jareth tipped her hips upward, to get get deeper access into Sarah's body. Then he took one hand from her hips and stroked her clit with his finger, driving her further and faster to the edge.

Shortly after she felt her body tighten and climaxed in sweet waves of pleasure, less intense than usual, but drawn out longer due to her husband's gentle actions, then her whole body relaxed.

Jareth was getting close, but tried to hang on a few minutes longer.

He shifted back, putting Sarah's legs down, and pulled her up with him, until he was leaning against the back of the couch and she was straddling him. He pushed her hair out of her face, and she grabbed his face between her hands and starting kissing him, then moved to his neck, biting down and sucking the skin there.

He groaned at the sensation..she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and thrust herself down on him, then rolled her hips, the friction of his body inside hers once more driving her over the edge.

Jareth pulled her hair, tipping her head back to taste the skin of her neck..than he exploded inside of her, groaning into her neck, unable to hold back any longer he buried his face against her chest, emptying himself in her, shuddering in release.

As their tremors died he ran his hands over her, catching his breath.

"Oh my Sarah...how you make me feel..." He finally said. Planting soft kisses over her neck, check, face, and finally her lips.

Sarah ran her fingers through his hair. Saying nothing for a few minutes, just letting the moment speaking for itself.

She shifted off of him, and laid her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"I love you so much Jareth..you seem to know me, better than I know myself. sometimes I wonder how I got here."

"I was just this normal everyday ordinary teenager from Connecticut, then I found that book...and..my whole life turned into something completely different. Something beyond anything most people could ever imagine. Sometimes I think I will wake up, and it will all be just a very long, very amazing dream."

Jareth turned and cupped her face. "There has never been anything ordinary about you, my love. You were born to be here. To be my wife, my equal. You were born my soul mate. That I found you is a miracle."

She smiled at him, and kissed his mouth softly.

"Do you think dinner is being served? I was hungry before, now I'm starving."

To accentuate the point, her stomach grumbled loudly.

He laughed, hugging her tightly to him. "Ahh..a bonus of afternoon delights. Working up an appetite."

He helped her dress, then she did the same for him., straightening their hair and clothing.

With another wave of his hand the door unlocked.

Leaving the study, Jareth nodded at the guards by the door. The guards gave each other knowing looks after the King and Queen had passed. They knew what went on between those two, and had talked privately among themselves that they expect to have a dozen younglings to watch out for in the near future, the way their King and Queen were.

A few weeks later, Caolin and Sherryana asked to speak with Jareth and Sarah together.

They met in the king's study.

"Is there something wrong?" Sarah asked.

"Not at all My Lady." Caolin responded. "We just wanted you two to be the first to know, I have asked for Sherryana's hand, and she has accepted."

Sarah clapped her hands in delight. "Really?! Oh wow you guys that is wonderful congratulations!" She hugged them both tightly, well as tightly as she could, having just passed the 6 month point in her pregnancy.

Jareth smiled, happy to hear the news, but more subdued than his wife. "May I offer my best wishes, Caolin and Sherryana. Please let me know when you like to be married, I will happily perform the marriage rites. We will also move you both into a shared suite so you may have more room."

"I am grateful Your Majesty. We will not need to wait long. We just want something simple" Sherryana said, curtsying to him.

Jareth thought a moment. "I have a clear afternoon day after tomorrow. Will that be suitable?"

Caolin answered. "That would be perfect, My Lord."

Jareth shook his hand, and kissed Sherryana's cheek.

Sarah was ecstatic, she took Sherryana's arm and told the other woman. "We need to get you a new dress for the ceremony..and flowers! Oh wait Jareth we should have it in my garden, wouldn't that be beautiful?"

Jareth cleared his throat.. "Sarah..." but she was already off , dragging Sherryana with her, talking about wedding plans.

He turned to his assistant. "I apologize, Caolin. I told her that marriage was a fairly simple thing here, but I do believe you may end up with a far more elaborate affair than you bargained for."

"It is understandable, Your Majesty. Her human origins being what they are. I would not be objectionable to some flowers and my bride having a new dress, or having the rites performed in the garden. It might be quite..nice."

"Yes, it might be." Jareth said. "I will talk to Her Majesty, try to keep it to no more than that. We will also have a wedding feast of course."

Caolin, bowed again to his king. "Thank you My lord."

Jareth smirked. "Shall we go discover what those two are up to, old friend?"

"We had better." Caolin smiled back.

They went in search of the two women, finding them already in the gardens.

"Sarah, may we speak in private, please? Jareth asked, interrupting her excited chatter.

She gave Jareth a questioning look. "Sure, Jareth."

He took her arm and escorted her some distance away form the other two.

"Sarah, this isn't the aboveground, nor will this be an aboveground wedding. I have no issue with performing the rite here in the garden, but let's leave it at that. I do not think they would be comfortable if we let this get out of hand. "

Sarah bowed her head. "oh...I'm sorry I...I just thought..." She put her face in her hands, tears coming to her eyes.

Jareth stepped forward and put his hands on her shoulders. "Sarah, what is wrong? No one is upset with you, least of all me."

She looked up into his face, her green eyes moist with unshed tears. "I'm sorry Jareth, it's not you..It's..ohh I think it's this stupid hormones more than anything. I knew that. I mean I knew about the whole "no big deal" on them marriage thing...I just thought it would be fun, and got carried away.

"Can I ask you something? When we got married..you said it wasn't necessary to have a ceremony because we were married when we bonded..I'm confused."

"Sarah. I'm a King here, it is different for me. I performed the rites during our bonding, so it WAS our ceremony. Within my kingdom, all marriages are subject to my approval. The rite is more of a way to say, I approve, and sanction the marriage. I did not need permission or approval from anyone but you. Yes, if you fully bond with another here, you are considered married in the eyes of the general populace, but it is not official until your sovereign signs off on it, so to speak." He answered.

"I get it now! I'm not sure if I'm okay with the concept, Jareth, I think if someone wants to get married they should be able to." She said.

He chuckled. "I am not surprised. I wouldn't worry about it. Who am I to refuse anyone their heart's desire? I have never not approved, merely a formality. It rarely happens anywhere, among the subjects. Now among royalty, I can guarantee no child of ours will marry without both of our approval, when the time comes. For their own protection, if nothing else."

She grinned inwardly. Lord help if they had a daughter...the bog will get mighty crowded with would be suitors.

She started giggling picturing it, and Jareth looked at her like she had grown another head, marveling at her mood swings."What are you laughing at, Sarah?"

She composed herself quickly. "Ohhh..nothing. Well nothing important right now, maybe someday I'll tell you."

His eyes narrowed. "You will tell me now."

"Hey, don't get all "Kingy" with me. "she said, using the term the goblins used. He hated secrets, and surprises were very difficult to keep from him. She had long ago figured out he was exceedingly curious and childlike about those things. She couldn't help herself now and then, though, she found it cute..mostly.

"Sarah.." he started in his commanding tone.

"It's just a silly thing, so you know what..no. For once I'm not letting you talk it out of me. Just deal, Your don't get to know every little thing that goes on in my head." She answered, turning from him and making her way to Caolin and Sherryana, with a huge grin on her face.

Jareth watched her go, a little annoyed, but also a bit admiring. Only she could get away with that, he thought. Then he smirked. I'll get it out of her..later.

He followed her back to the group, and they finalized plans. The would perform the rites in the garden, and Sarah would make sure Sherryana had a nice dress for the occasion...but she let it go at that.

Once that was done, she hurried back to the castle She had to meet with the midwife. Jareth insisted on weekly checkups..and she was late, getting caught up in the wedding talks.

She made her way to her rooms, where Moirah was waiting outside.

"I'm so sorry Moirah!" She exclaimed, seeing the woman tapping her foot. She was absolutely the most punctual person Sarah had ever known. She got the feeling if Moira told the baby to come at 2pm next Tuesday, the baby would not argue. Technically she would never *say* anything. since Sarah outranked her, but Sarah still felt properly chastised.

"Good Afternoon My Lady." Moirah said brusquely. "Shall we get started?"

"Yes, Moirah." Sarah said, smiling at the older woman.

The midwife gave the younger girl a half smile, and they hustled inside.

Moirah used a basin to wash her hands, and proceeded to examine Sarah both magically and a physical examination.

"You are fine, Your Majesty, perfectly healthy. Are you certain you do not want to know whether the babe is male or female?"

"I'm sure..I always said that I wanted to wait and be surprised, when my baby is born. As long as he or she is healthy and happy, it doesn't matter to me."

"Ahh..yes I have heard that is an aboveground custom." Moirah said, finishing up with her examination.

"Well, until maybe 50 years ago, if that long, it wasn't an option to know. We don't have magic like you have here, so whatever happened, happened. A lot of women get feelings about it, I do have that but, I would rather see if my suspicion is confirmed the regular way...I guess you can take the human out of the girl, but you can't take the girl away from her humanity."

"What do you think it will be, My Lady?" the midwife asked.

Sarah smiled, and paused. "I think it's a girl. I think we will have a daughter...but I worry that Jareth might be disappointed it won't be a boy first."

Moirah did smile then, she did not say so, but she found the girl's human ways very charming. She had treated humans before, changelings of course. human born immortals were very rare. An immortal woman would be thrilled to have a child at all, and not be concerned with whether their husband would be disappointed or not at the sex.

"I do not think you need to worry about such things, Your Majesty. I think the King will be happy either way."

"I hope so." Sarah said, frowning a little."I'm still kind of lost sometimes. Everything happened so fast."

Moirah helped Sarah off the bed and stand up. "It seems so. But you are very strong, in power and in mind. You will be able to adjust. You already have adjusted very quickly, it's quite remarkable really. Changelings take years to come to terms with all they become, but it seems you were born to be here, no matter where your birth took place. I would say bonding with one with such power as The Goblin King didn't hurt, either."

Sarah got a dreamy look on her face. Moirah, when she first arrived, who had seen much and birthed babies from all classes of beings in this realm, never had seen such a love that existed between The Goblin King and his chosen Queen, this little one was truly blessed.

She could tell when the girl was thinking of her husband, it was quite sweet, really, even for a seasoned woman as herself who had seen it all, she reasoned to herself, well, she had thought she had seen it all.

"Oh! Moirah! Sarah exclaimed. "I almost forgot, Caolin, and Sherryana are getting married day after tomorrow in the afternoon, in my garden. would you like to attend? It won't be a big event or anything, which I keep getting told is the norm here, but I'm inviting Merrik, Justinia, and a few of my other friends too. Please come."

Moirah bowed. "Thank you, Your Majesty, I would be honored to attend."

"Yay!" Sarah said, clapping her hands together. She knew she needed to keep it small, but she couldn't help from being excited for her friends, she asked if she could invite a few people, and everyone had agreed it was fine.

Moirah shook her head and smiled, as she got her instruments together and Sarah had went to bathe. Sarah hadn't commanded her, but Moirah out of instinct had accepted. The girl's enthusiasm was infectious.

Two days later, the group met, Sarah and Jareth,along with Merrik, Justinia, Moiriah, plus Hoggle and Sir Didymus, Ludo and various goblins, to watch Caolin and Sherryana's union.

After the short ceremony, They all joined in the feast, and celebrated long into the evening, until the newly wedded couple headed to their new quarters, and Jareth insisted Sarah needed to get to bed.

She tried to deny she as tired but after about the tenth yawn Jareth would hear no more protests.

"Sarah.." He said in his warning voice. "Don't defy me. You cannot keep pretending you don't need more rest right now. The child needs it too."

She gave her husband an annoyed look. "Oh fine. Use that against me." She made sure to hug everyone goodnight, while Jareth stood by the door, arms folded. "Good night, my friends, it seems I'm being put to bed."

She walked past her husband, who bowed a good night to the gathered group and followed his wife to their rooms.

"Jareth, I am not a child." She said to him once the door was shut.

"Oh am well aware you a very very grown up woman. however, pregnancy makes you rather petulant." He answered, smirking at her.

She put her hand on her hips. "Don't you smirk at me Your Majesty. I swear there are times I want to smack that smirk off your face."

Jareth narrowed his eyes. "Well now, aren't we violent tonight. Am I to be the victim of another one of your charming mood swings?"

"Hey!" She exclaimed loudly. "Listen, I'm fat, I'm tired, my back hurts and my feet are swollen. I was just trying to have a little fun tonight.' She waggled a finger at her husband. "I don't need some crazy haired king with a superiority complex telling me what to do!"

Jareth couldn't stop himself. The sight of his wife, one hand on her hip, waggling a finger at him, pregnant, with such an indignant look or her face...his smile grew across his face, and he started chuckling, which built to full blown laughter.

"What are you laughing at?" She said watching him shake with building laughter and make his way to a chair.

He stopped laughing enough to look at her and see she was giving him that very annoyed look again. "In the words of my beloved wife.. You know what..I'm not telling...you do not get to know everything that is going on in my head."

Sarah stomped her foot in frustration, turning away from him, and started to change for bed, mumbling to herself. Jareth could pick out various words, and got the idea she was mumbling about doing activities that involved extreme pain to his private parts.

"Now now, Precious. Threatening my baubles again are we? For one thing, I think a few of your ideas are a physical impossibility, and for another...I think you enjoy those specific parts of me far too much to go through with your nefarious plans."

She had changed into her nightgown, and then turned back to him.

"I'm going to bed. Just like you commanded me to do. Goodnight."

With that she climbed into bed and turned away from him.

He rolled his eyes as he got up from the chair. He changed and got into bed, but she turned the other way so she was once again facing away from him. He knew the best course was to just apologize, even if he was right.

He snuggled against her body and wrapped his arms around her kissing her cheek. She tried to squirm away but he held her firmly, and spoke into her ear.

"Precious, it is not my intention to tell you what to do in such a way that you think I believe I am superior to you. Quite the opposite most days. I just want you to get plenty of rest and take care of yourself. It will not be for much longer, my love."

Sarah closed her eyes. She knew he was just concerned for her welfare, but she got so irritated with him lately. "I know, Jareth. I just...I can't help it..the littlest things bug me these days."

He smiled into her hair, feeling her anger slip away.

"Well you have always had a temper...apparently pregnancy brings out the best in you." He said.

She giggled, then sighed, relaxing into her husbands body, absorbing his warmth.

"You were right."

He raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

"I do enjoy your naughty bits to much to plot against them." she replied.

He laughed softly. "Thank the gods, I rather enjoy you, enjoying them. I would miss that."

She turned and kissed him, then snuggled further into the pillows.

"Goodnight, Your Majesty." She said.

"Sweet dreams my love."

She fell asleep quickly, but Jareth laid there for a long time, thinking how much his life had changed in not even a year. A year ago he had almost resigned himself to mere glimpses into her dreams, and now she was here, and carrying his daughter.

She didn't know he knew, and he would act surprised after the birth. but he knew months ago, that the child was clearly female, her feminine energy both foreign and familar, with traces of both himself and Sarah, but also a power uniquely her own.

She was going to bring about many wonderful things for his world. His pride that he and Sarah had created such a being was bursting at the seams. Only 3 more months and he would finally hold her in his arms. He wondered if she would have dark hair or fair..what color her eyes would be, would her laugh sound Sarah's.

He put his hand on Sarah's belly, silently saying a prayer of thanks to the Gods.

Finally he closed his eyes and slept.

The next morning as they were eating, he noticed Sarah seemed preoccupied and was picking at her food.

"Sarah, are you feeling alright? You are not eating." He mentioned.

"I guess there is something bothering me." She mumbled, not meeting his eyes.

"If it's about last night, Sarah, love, it's to be expected that you would be emotional..." He said.

"No that's not it." She answered quickly.

"Then, what is it? You can tell me anything, you know this."

Sarah took a deep breath, she knew she just come out with it.

"I am worried you won't be happy if this baby isn't a boy." She looked up, meeting his eyes.

He was surprised. Trying to think back to anything he may have said that would make her think that. Of course, he already knew differently. Maybe pretending not knowing the sex of the child wasn't a good idea.

"Why would you think that?" He chose his words carefully.

"Well I know how men are, at least, most men I've ever known, they always want a son..and you are a king, and maybe we won't have anymore because of the whole "immortals have a hard time conceiving" thing, so I thought it would be even more important for you to have a son." She confessed.

He took her hand. "Sarah, I promise you, I do not have a preference, I just want our babe to be healthy and happy. As for having more.. yes I would like us to have many children, but if we are only blessed with one, whether a male of female, he or she will be cherished beyond imagining."

She breathed a sigh of relief. " I'm glad because..well, I get this feeling it's a girl. I don't know why, I just have this feeling, you know?"

He grinned slowly. "I do indeed."

She looked at him, incredulous. "You know, don't you?"

"I really had no choice in the matter, her energy is quite clear to me, and I can feel her like a beacon." Jareth replied. "Our daughter is going to be a powerful leader in this world" He squeezed her hand. "Like you."

She smiled back. "So we are having a daughter?"

She jumped up as fast as her growing belly would let her, and wrapped her arms around her husband. He turned to the side so he could place her in his lap, and ran his hands over her abdomen. She kissed him thoroughly, and he returned her joy in kind.

"I wonder if anyone else knows." She said to him, now wondering if everyone who had magic could tell.

"I do not know. I expect that Moirah knows, as she has examined you with her magic." He replied.

"Okay, well, myself, you, and Moirah can know, but no one else..agreed?" She told him.

He shook his head at her words. She was persistent that someone would be surprised. "If that is your wish."

She got up and went back to her chair. "Well, I guess we better start think about names for this little one. Do we give her an underground name, or an aboveground name? What do you think?"

"I am sure whatever name we choose, it will be a good one. How about I think of some names, and you think of some names, and we see where we are from there." He suggested.

"Alright. Wait, do you have a last name? Or should I say we?" She asked, surprised she had never even thought about it before.

"We do not have surnames like you do above. We are known by our titles, family positions, kingdom affiliations, et cetera. He explained.

"Technically, my official name is Jareth, son of Jastiel and Illiana, King of the Goblins and Keeper of The Labyrinth and The Ways."

"Wow, okay, that is..I'm not really sure what that is. Way too long for one thing. Eesh."She said, taken aback slightly.

He laughed. "Yours is even longer. Sarah, Daughter of Robert and Linda Williams of the Aboveground, Queen of the Goblins, and Keeper of The Labyrinth and the Ways."

"Well yeah, I guess it would be weird if your name was Jareth Jones or something." She giggled at the thought. How undignified that sounded. "What about middle names?"

He thought about this. "It isn't common, but not completely unheard of, for one to have a second name here."

"Mine is Elizabeth..not that you asked."She said.

"Ahh..that is lovely. Sarah Elizabeth. That makes your name even longer then does it not?" He raised his brow and smirked at her. "I never asked because it's not something one thinks about asking here. Names have a certain amount of power. This is why very few people called me Jareth, or are allowed too."

"But I get to right?" She asked him, wondering if she had been making some incredible faux pas all this time.

"Absolutely. you already have power over me, by merely your existence." He sighed, as if resigned to the condition.

She smirked at him. "Well then this should be interesting to test out."

"Sarah..." he said in that all too familiar warning tone.

"Just kidding.. Your Majesty..besides I only plan on testing it out in certain, specific situations."She wiggled her brows at him like he liked to do to her when he was being smarmy.

He laughed with her. "I wholeheartedly support that, you have my unconditional surrender in that area."

"Darn." Sarah said. "I was hoping you would put up a fight."

He laughed more loudly at that. "I might..I just might."

"Alright, husband, let's finish our breakfast, so you can get to court. Besides if we keep talking about names and such, you might add a few more onto mine to bug me."

"I will think about that, wife..see what I can come up with." He replied, still smiling.

They laughed together, enjoying their banter.

After they finished eating, Jareth rose and kissed his wife, then headed towards the throne room, to get prepared for court.

Sarah went to the balcony, getting some fresh air, and to take in the view of The Labyrinth, her daughter's birthright. She could hardly wait to show it to her.

She moved her hands over her swollen belly, feeling the baby moving around as she so often got active after Sarah ate.

"My little girl, you will bring such harmony to this land. Everyone will adore you...most of all me and your daddy. We both love you so much. I get the feeling you already know that, somehow."

Sarah looked to the horizon and the bright future for her new family. A thought drifted to Toby, and wished he could see his niece.

He would be such a good uncle. She feel a wave of sadness wash over her. Most of the time, she did not let it come to the front of her mind.

Lately though, Toby has been popping up more and more in her thoughts. She wondered why.

She walked back into the room, and looked at the picture she had framed and hung on the wall, of the drawing he had made her. "Someday we will see each other again, Toby. I promise. I miss you."

She sighed, and made he way to the door, to get her day started. She had given Sherryana a couple of days off to "honeymoon." so she would be busy.

She looked back to the picture. She sighed again and shrugged. Probably just hormones. She was glad she had an excuse to be so emotional right now.

Leaving the room, she shoved the thoughts to the back of her mind and began her day as The Goblin Queen.


	15. Chapter 15

Another month went by, then 2. Sarah at 8 months pregnant was ready for it to be over.

Not being able to move around very quickly at all, she limited her duties to mornings only, Then would spend the afternoons with her feet up. She tired easily and Jareth watched her like a hawk.

She had a tendency to try and do too much, and seemed to listen to no one but him when it was enough. Even then it was a grudging admission.

Sherryana was proving invaluable to Sarah now, able to handle all but the very few things Sarah herself had to do.

Sarah hated to have to lean on her so much, as she was just married as well, but Sarah made it clear, that if and when the blonde was pregnant Sarah would surely do the same thing for her.

She read a great deal, mostly about the history of The Goblin Kingdom and the entire realm. She thought that since she was having a baby here, she should know the history, not only for herself, but her daughter's sake.

She spent much of her reading time in her gardens, where flowers were blooming faster than Hoggle could take care of. He commandeered a group of goblins to help him.

Jareth had realized that The Labyrinth itself, and by extension, The Goblin Kingdom, was responding to his wife's pregnancy, creating a springlike burst of life within it's walls.

Flowers, trees, hedges, were all bursting with life. The birds, insects, and fairies, responding to bounty also flourished. Babies were being born all over his kingdom, even to immortals.

He expected soon his wife's assistant would also be with child.. Sarah's influence on the very makeup of the Goblin lands was something of an enigma to him. He was certain she was not creating it of her own free will or in her conscious mind, it was just happening.

The Labyrinth itself was being elusive and oddly silent on the matter.

He spent much time in the library trying to find precedent for such an event. There was none. While Keepers had certainly had children, there had never been a child of two Keepers born before.

For Sarah, as the time passed, she felt more and more like there was something wrong somewhere, like something was prodding here to look, but she just could not see.

She had an almost overwhelming desire to go aboveground, like it was pulling at her, but the idea was firmly put out of her head by her husband, who insisted traveling the Ways to the aboveground was too strenuous for her to attempt . She made him promise they would go after the baby came and she was up for the trip, which he did.

He tried to keep her mind from dwelling on her worries, when he could, but with her unable to work as much, He had to revert back to his singular sovereign state and handle most duties himself, he did not mind, but it did keep him from caring for Sarah as much as he would like.

Sarah had been invaluable when there were wished away children, but now he had barred her from the throne during the time the children were present, as she became overly emotional about the whole situation.

He learned this the first time they had had a wish away after she became pregnant, and she had insisted that she wanted to keep the child, regardless of the rules they were sworn to follow.

It had been one of those sad situations he saw so many times, parents dead, grandparent to sick and elderly to take on the task, so on a whim, she had wished the child away, hoping against hope The Goblin King would come, and he did.

After assuring the elderly woman her grandson would be well taken care of of, all she wanted was to pass over in peace and be with her loved ones again, with the stipulation to give her a year of health to be able to take care of the things she want to get done, and make a trip to her childhood home one last time.

He let her keep her memories of the child as well, although there would be no trace anywhere else, it was rare, but occasionally in such cases he tried to be compassionate. The memories gave the old woman comfort in her final days.

He mulled over his decision afterwards, and factored in the possibility that impending fatherhood was making him see things differently.

He wasn't sure yet if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Sarah, in her condition, was so moved that she demanded to keep the child. It had taken hours to convince her that there was a family waiting for him that would love and cherish him. After that, she was no longer allowed to resume those duties until after the babe was born.

The child, a strapping boy of three, was sent to The Kingdom of The White Mountains, whose High Princess and her husband would be perfect parents to the big lad, he was of hearty stock, with dark hair and eyes pale skin ,and would fit right in to the mountain dwelling people, whose physical attributes were due to the weather there.

The Goblin King always tried to find a place where the children would not stand out because of their physicality, but blend in, to make it easier for them to adjust. In a short time his memories of being born human would fade away.

Jareth had delivered that latest wish away, to it's new home, and returning home reached out through his bond to locate his wife. He followed the thread out to the gardens, where Sarah sat upon a lounge chair she had created, reading quietly.

"Good Afternoon, love." He kept his voice light and upbeat.

He sat down at the end of the chair facing her.

She looked up. "Hello Your Majesty...how did it go?"

He smiled at her. "Lord Callum and his wife are thrilled of course. The girl seemed shy at first, but was taking to her new surroundings as I left. All will be well. And you? How is your day?"

She sighed. "Bored, restless, want to go out and walk and visit my friends, and that niggling feeling is still poking at me. It's hard to focus on anything these days."

Jareth reached out and took her hands. "What did Moirah say today?"

"It could be anytime now, technically I'm 8 months along in human terms, but she isn't sure exactly what that mean in immortal terms. She just tells me to be prepared now, for anything." She let him hold her hands, but they were limp in his grasp.

He could feel her weariness. he kissed her hands the laid them down gently, and caressed her growing belly. "The babe is good then?"

"Yes, she is fine. Feisty, kicking the crap out of me. Making me really desperately want a bowl of cookies'n'cream ice cream. She must have a little human in her after all, the way she likes that stuff."

It had taken some practice, but Jareth had become very proficient at conjuring the frozen confection in the past few months. It was quite good, but very rich for his system. Sarah seemed to want to live on it at this point, and it was the least he could do.

"After dinner, wife. I promise. We will play a game if you like, and I will make sure you have as big of a bowl of it as you desire."

"That's another thing..I miss you, Jareth..I miss us being..together. Playing games and eating ice cream and reading to each other is nice, but..." her voice drifted off.

Moirah had told her a couple of weeks before, that although lovemaking was no real danger to the baby, that her inability to estimate an approximate due date led her to believe that it might be better if the couple refrained until after the birth and recovery.

Jareth knew how she was feeling, he craved his wife's body, he found her more rounded form delectable, but knew they had forever to be together, and that if it was safer for Sarah and the child to hold out for a short time, he could control his desires.

"It won't be long, precious. I miss you too, but if Moirah says it is best, then it is." He bent down and kissed her..then nibbled on her neck a little trying to tickle her and make her smile.

Sarah giggled and pushed him away. "Stop..you keep that up and I won't be responsible for my actions..then you will have to explain that to Moirah."

Jareth stood up, and offered his hand to Sarah, who took it, and he helped pull her up. "Let us go have an early dinner,then retire to our rooms. I have nothing more to to do today, so let us spend it together."

Sarah nodded, and put her arm in his.

They had a light dinner, and once in their chambers, Jareth set up the chessboard in front of the fire and made sure Sarah had her ice cream, then the two proceeded to talk and play for several hours until Sarah started nodding off.

He made sure she was safely tucked into bed, then went for a walk around the castle grounds. He loved the night, it was instinctual to him. The darkness, the moon and stars, all called to him. He had perfect night vision due to his owl like nature.

He had lived a solitary existence for so long, that it still amazed him that it was no longer the case. Sarah had been his wife for almost a year now. How calming it was, to have a mate like her. She knew how to sooth his soul when he needed it.

He thought, before he found her, that he would never want to give up his freedom. That even if he were to eventually marry for the purpose of producing children, that it would be like most other underground marriages, that himself and whomever he married may have children with each other but basically lead separate lives in all other but the most formal of ways.

He found, with Sarah, no desire to be be free of her...in fact he found freedom in her presence, in her quiet strength, that never existed in his life before. A freedom to let go of his tight control in the most private aspect of his life, and be open. if only with her, and eventually their offspring.

Smiling to himself, he transported back to his chambers, changed and slipped into his bed.

As he got comfortable, Sarah turned and wrapped herself around him, laying her head on his chest. He felt the hard swell of her middle pressing against him.

"Have a good walk?" Sarah asked still mostly asleep.

"Yes, now go back to your slumber." He replied, putting his arm around her and pulling her closer.

"Mmm..nighty night.." She said as she drifted off.

The king was still smiling as he closed his eyes and joined her.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Jareth..." A voice said.

He started to wake..wondering if he was dreaming.

"Wha...?" He said, groggy.

"Jareth, you must wake up. It is important."

He awoke then, realizing The Labyrinth was speaking to him.

He gently removed Sarah from his side, she snuggled deeper into the bed but remained sleeping.

"What is it?" He thought back, not wanting to wake Sarah he chose to communicate without speaking out loud. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes. Jareth. you must get dressed, and go aboveground immediately."

He got out of bed and stood.

"Why?" He asked. This was an unusual request, and he had heard no one wish away a child.

"It is the Queen's brother, he is in desperate need of help." The Labyrinth said to him.

Jareth's eyes narrowed in thought. This must be what Sarah had been sensing.

"What happened?"He asked.

"Just get dressed and come, now" All will be made clear. Once you are ready I will guide you to his location."

He dressed magically, in full armor, not knowing what he was walking into.

"Let us go." He said. and he was gone.

When he reappeared his eyes widened in shock. He was standing in the living room of Sarah's old aboveground apartment.

"Who the fuck are you now?!" A middle aged human man yelled after he appeared. A woman clung to him in fear. Jareth automatically swept his hand and frozen their movements to assess the situation.

Then he noticed the figure cowered on the floor. The figure of young teenaged boy, shaggy blond hair, ratty clothes, clinging to some sort of bag.

The boy looked up at him with huge fearful blue eyes.

Jareth took a step towards him. "Toby?" putting his hand out, but the boy cowered further into himself.

"How...do you know...my name? What did you just do to those people? Who are you? Where the hell is my sister?Why doesn't anyone know her? I know this is where she lives..or lived!" He finally said, in a voice just changing from boy to man.

Jareth crouched next to the boy. "Toby...look at me."

The boy complied.

"Where is your mother?" Jareth finally asked.

"She...she...after my dad died...she got so depressed..then 4 months ago..she took some pills and..she ..I tried to save her, I found her, but I couldn't..." He started sobbing.

Through the sobs he continued "My uncle...he took me in b..but..I had all these memories come flooding in, of my sister..but no one knew who..who I was talking about...I ran away, I knew her address..but she isn't here..where is she? Do you know?"

Jareth rocked back on his heels, He was torn at what to do about this development. He knew Toby might have had some vague memories of Sarah, as he had been to his realm, but this was much more than that. He thought for a moment.

Meeting the boy's eyes he said. "Yes, your sister if fine, Toby, you must go back to your uncle's home. Eventually Sarah will come to visit you I promise." He thought that sounded like a reasonable compromise.

"No!" Toby yelled. "I can't go back there! My uncle he, he doesn't like me very much. i mean he hits me and stuff, and when he isn't doing that, he ignores me. I hate him! I want Sarah! Where is she?! Why can't I see her?! And What the fuck did you do to them?" He said pointing at the frozen couple, the boy's voice was becoming desperate.

Jareth felt his anger rise at the boy's uncle, but he could not jump to any conclusions. "They will be fine, I swear it... Toby, may I put my hand upon your head? It will not hurt, but I need to know something." He had to check to make sure the boy's words were truthful and not just youthful desire fueling exaggeration.

They boy stared at him for a minute, but reluctantly nodded.

Jareth put his hand on the boy's head, and creating a crystal in his other hand, pulling at his memories so Jareth could see them. He knew in a few seconds Toby was telling the truth.

Jareth took a deep breath, closed his eyes and thought. Reaching out to The Labyrinth he asked for guidance. The answer was immediate. "You must bring him, My King, there is no one else."

He nodded and opened his eyes.

"Toby, do you know who I am at all?"

The boy narrowed his eyes. "You look vaguely familiar, like I had dreams about you or something, but not anything solid."

"Alright. Toby, I am The Goblin King." Jareth told him.

Toby's eyes about popped out of his head. "Like in the story Sarah used to read me?"

"Yes, just like in the story." He could not help but smirk. "May we stand?"

Jareth stood up, and Toby with him. He was already taller than his sister, Jareth noted.

"Toby, that story is not just a story, it is truth. It is along tale, how we came to both be here in this time and place, too long to tell now, and not mine to tell in any case. your sister now resides with me. She is my queen and wife."

"No one remembers her because in leaving this world, her presence was erased from here. I do not yet know why your memories of her have returned."

Toby gasped. taking a step back. "How in the...?"

"Like I said, a very long story. Now, I have an offer to make to you." Jareth said.

Toby nodded. "Okay..I guess."

"As her brother, you have the opportunity to join your sister in my kingdom. But know this. You will be erased here just as she was, and you can never come back here. It is the biggest decision you will ever make. Life there will be vastly different than it is here, not better or worse, just different."

Toby did think about it, but he had to ask something. "Does my sister even want me there? I mean she left soo...I mean...like, does she even think about me?"

Jareth laid his hand on the boy's shoulder. "She would be thrilled to have you there. She left you here because she thought you were safe, and that you would be better off. She always planned to come back someday to see you, to offer you the same chance, but she wanted you to grow up first, to have a life here. She loves you very much and has missed you dearly."

Toby thought about this. If he were given a chance to go live in some storybook place, wouldn't he go too. Yes, he would. and Sarah..he remembered her dreamy smile when she read that book to him, like she was wishing she could go into the book and stay there. His love of fairytales was something that came from his big sister's influence.

"I want to go." He said, standing straight and looking in the kings eyes. Yes, he desperately wanted to be away from this place, all these memories.

Jareth nodded. "Then you must repeat these words...I wish The Goblin King would take me away, right now." Jareth laid his hands on the boys shoulders.

Toby said he words.

A second after they disappeared, The two frozen forms of the man and woman started looking around they could not figure out why they had been standing in the middle of their living room for no reason or how they got there, but shook it off, figuring they must have both sleepwalked for some reason, then went back to bed, still curious but the memory was quickly fading from memory.

The next day they had no idea of the events that had occurred in their little two story walkup apartment, The man noticed as he was drinking his coffee and looking out the bedroom window, that the bluebird's nest, long abandoned, had some new tenants, he smiled, he loved birds.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was just after dawn at The goblin Castle when they appeared in the throne room, few were awake, but Caolin was just walking in when they arrived.

He stopped, seeing the king appear with a young boy in tow. A young human boy. This was unusual. The child was obviously too old to be a wish away.

"Your Majesty?" Caolin called out.

Jareth turned. "Ah. Caolin, would you please have the rooms prepared 3 suites down from mine on the opposite side? No one has used them for quite a while. They will do quite nicely I think."

"Yes, My Lord, but..if I may ask who our guest is?" His eyes slid to the young male human, whose was unkempt, obviously unnerved,and a bit nauseated from transporting.

"Sir Caolin, may I introduce to you The Lord Tobias, brother to The Queen."

Caolin bowed deeply as was his place, but the boy looked like he had no idea what was going on.

"Welcome, Lord Tobias."

Finally the human squeaked out "Ummm..yeah..okay, thanks. I'm a Lord?"

Jareth smiled a little. "Technically, yes. When you are of age you will be make a Duke, as is tradition for all siblings to a Queen or King. The moment Sarah was crowned Queen, your were a Lord in or world whether you ever came here or not."

"Oh. Okay, I think. Whatever. Where is Sarah?" Toby asked.

"She is still asleep, I sincerely hope, she has been tried as of late, and needs her rest." Jareth said.

Toby got a fearful feeling in his belly. "She is okay right? She isn't sick or anything?" He could not take losing his last family member.

"She is fine. You will see later. First I think you need to eat, and bathe. Caolin will escort you to your rooms, and have food brought to you, and fresh clothing. Also you might want to take a nap.

"I need some time to allow her to awaken and prepare her for your presence here, I do not want her surprised right now." Jareth replied firmly.

Toby opened his mouth to argue, but he got the distinct feeling arguing with this..man..or whatever he was, would not be a wise idea. So he nodded his head and let the other man lead the way to the room he was being given.

Sarah awoke slowly, noting Jareth was long gone. She was used to that these days. Normally they rose together, but recently he had been letting her sleep in.

She got up, bathed and dressed.

Jareth had installed steps with rails to get in and out of the tub for here, and made sure the smooth surface was coasted in a fine grained tile of some sort that would prevent her from slipping.

She thought he was being overly cautious, but he insisted, so she gave in to his changes. He also had created a seat on the side magically morphing the shape of the tub, so she would not have to sit all the way down, to make it easier for her to rise. He could change it back easily.

Sarah had to admit to herself, it was easier. She wouldn't tell him that though. She hated to admit things were harder for her since her belly had grown to(at least to her)enormous proportions.

When she was clean and dressed, she ran the bell on the table, and an elf brought her her breakfast.

"Good day My Lady!" Lyndele exclaimed, putting the food on the table, along with juice and water.

"Good day, Lyndele, so what is the news around the castle?" Sarah asked, making conversation.

"Oh big news Your Majesty! The king brought a boy here just before dawn this morning! A human boy! Gave him a room too, he ain't never done that for a wish away before. Ardele seen him when he took him a tray of food. Said he was an older one too, not no youngling he say."

This puzzled Sarah. "How odd. I wonder what the cut off age for wish aways."

"Hear tell, My Lady, once younglings is old enough to have younglings of their own, they to old." The small creature replied.

"Oh, so puberty then. And this boy is older than that?" Sarah asked.

"That's what everyone is sayin'." Lyndele replied. "I got to get back now, My Lady."

The elf bowed. "Ardele will be back to fetch the dishes."

"Oh..yes, of course, thank you Lyndele." Sarah said, letting the elf return to his duties.

Sarah ate quickly, wanting to get done and go and find out what was going on.

Once she was done, she made her way to Jareth's study.

"Good morning Feran, is the king in and available?" She asked the guard outside the door.

"He is in, Your Majesty, and always available to you." the tall goblin answered.

Sarah knocked on the door, cracking it open, she peeked in and saw Jareth at his desk, and Caolin standing by.  
"Jareth?" she said softly.

Jareth's had immediately looked up at the knock, and was relieved to see Sarah.

"Ah, good, you are up. Sleep well?" He asked her, looking her over magically.

"I can feel it when you do that, you know." She said. He had also started habitually using their bond to assess her condition, which kind of bugged her. It was sweet in one way, but annoying.

"I am aware, but I will continue to do so. My duty to my Queen is to protect her and keep her from harm if possible. So get used to it, at least until you have given birth."

Sarah sighed heavily, and let it go for now. She had more pressing matters anyway.

"What is this I hear you brought a boy to the castle and gave him a room? Shouldn't I be informed if we are to have guests?"

Caolin and Jareth's eyes met.

"Excuse me You Majesty, I need to deliver those messages now." Caolin said, excusing himself.

Jareth gestured to the chair. "Sarah please sit. We need to talk."

Sarah was concerned. "What is it? What happened?"

He sat for a moment, trying to put together the right words, in a way that would not upset his wife.

"Something has happened, and I was put in a position to act without consulting you. I do not want you to fret, and swear to me you will listen to the whole story."

Sarah's worry bloomed into a slight fear. "Tell me Jareth, what did you do? What in the world are you talking about?"

"Toby is here." He said, quietly.

"WHAT?! What do you mean, Toby is here, how the hell did that happen?!" She jumped up as fast as she could manage.

Jareth stood up, and took his wife's shoulders. "Sarah please, relax, sit down, I can't have you jumping around and getting upset."

She took a few deep breaths and sat down again.

"Jareth, you have to agree this is..what happened?!" She was almost frantic to go seek her brother out, but restrained herself for the moment to hear her husband out.

"Your stepmother committed suicide approximately 4 months ago. Toby went to live with his uncle, who was abusive. Apparently, Toby's memories of you returned after his mother was gone."

"My research tells me this is because of his prior contact with The Labyrinth and the underground. I believe The Labyrinth itself remained connected to both of you, and saw what happened and returned his memories to him without my knowledge.

"He sought you out at your former home, and scared the new tenants, who I'm sure were at the very least were going to contact the authorities, at worst they might have hurt him or worse, knowing how humans love their firearms, bloody iron filled revolting things they are."

"The Labyrinth woke me and I went to find him. Once I assessed the situation, I thought it was for the best that he come here."

Sarah listened intently. Karen is dead? What the hell? "How did she..why?" She wondered out loud.

"Toby says she took some sort of pills, and that he found her and tried to save her. I will never understand how humans can throw their lives away so frivolously, and with a child to care for." He had a look of disgust on his face.

Sarah stood again, more calmly. "I need to see him, he needs me." She demanded.

"Yes. Please, though Sarah, do not overtax yourself. I realize this is an..emotional situation, but you cannot sacrifice your health."

Her lips tightened. "I realize that, your Majesty. The baby and I are perfectly okay. quit fussing over me so damn much. "She said, irritated. "Now tell me which room he is in so that I can go see him."

Jareth nodded. "I will escort you. He is in rooms located in our same wing, as he is family and will be a permanent resident."

He took her arm and they walked back towards their rooms, going past and several doors down.

Jareth knocked. "Toby? Are you awake?"

Hearing nothing, they went in.

They went through the sitting room into the bedroom, and there Sarah laid her eyes on her brother for the first time in several years, since she had not seen him in person for almost 3 years before she came to the the underground.

Her eyes welled up with tears seeing his sleeping form. He had grown so very much, no longer the child she remembered, but a young man.

Toby had bathed and eaten, then passed out in the robe provided for him by Caolin. He hadn't slept well in a good many days.

Sarah sat down gently on the bed and stroked his face and hair.

"Toby?" She said quietly. "Tobes?"

His eyes slowly opened, and he turned his head.

He gasped, sat up and threw himself into his sister's embrace, sobbing.

Sarah rocked him much like she did when he was little and he had a nightmare, cooing and shushing him.  
Finally his sobs died down and he pulled back and looked at her.

"Mom is dead." He blurted, wiping his eyes.

"Jareth told me. I'm so sorry Toby. I had no idea things were so bad. I would have come for you if I would have known, I swear. I would never have left you behind all alone."

He slowly nodded. "After she died, all of the sudden, it was like a lightbulb switched on in my head. I asked everyone about you, where you were, if I could go live with you."

He paused, sniffing, then continued. "They thought I was crazy. I had to go to therapy, they tried to make me take pills, but I spit them out until they caught on and started doing blood tests. Then Uncle Frank, he...he couldn't handle me, he said, smacked me around and always said stuff like "hey thanks sis for offing yourself and sticking me with your psycho kid"...I had to leave, then, you weren't there."

"I stole some money from his stash and bought a bus ticket, and a little more for food. I had your address memorized, but when I got there, no one knew who you were." He stared down at his hands as he told his story.

The tears started again, but he wasn't sobbing anymore.

Sarah moved to sit next to him, and put her arms around him, crying with him.

"We are together now, Tobes, nothing can change that now. You are safe here with us. I will never let anything happen to you like that again. this is your home now"

Jareth had taken a chair and observed silently.

After a few minutes Toby finally said something. "Sarah...are you pregnant?"

Sarah had to laugh, and even Jareth smirked.

"Yes, Toby, I am most certainly very pregnant. You are going to have a niece. Isn't that exciting?"

Toby grimaced in typical teenage boy fashion. "I'm not going to have to change diapers or anything am I? Gross."

Jareth finally spoke. "It is doubtful, Lord Toby. The child almost certainly will have to have a nanny."

Sarah gave him a foul look. This was an ongoing argument between them. Sarah wanted to do everything herself. He kept trying to explain to her that the workload of The Goblin Queen is such that, at least part of the time, there would have to be another person to help care for any children they may have.

"Well, we will talk about all that later." Sarah said giving her husband another glare.

Toby had many questions circling around in his head.

"What is he?" He asked pointing at Jareth.

Sarah smirked. "Well that is loaded question at this point in time." She looked at Jareth who stood.

"It's seems, precious, you have the situation in hand. Please don't get too emotional or do too much. I will see you both at dinner." He announced while turning and leaving.

After he left Toby repeated his question.

"He an immortal, Toby..I am too, now. I've been changed into one of his kind." She answered.

Toby's eyes widened. "you mean you aren't a human anymore?"

She smiled. "Not technically. Eventually you will be a changeling, that is what Jareth says happens to most humans here, and that the younger you are the quicker the process is. It means you will be somewhere in between."

"Oh. So he can't change me into one. too?" the boy asked.

"No, he can't. but maybe someday, someone can. if you find someone here and get married. Maybe it will happen. I would rather save that discussion for another time, when you are older...or maybe Jareth or Caolin can explain it to you." Sarah said, blushing a little.

"Okay." Toby said embracing his sister again. for the moment he was just happy to not be alone.

"Sis, you could have told me you wanted to leave..I mean if you love this guy, I would have been sad, but I would have understood...you should have let me know.." Toby told her.

Sarah didn't meet his eyes for a minute., when she did the tears were back. "I didn't have a chance, Tobes. It was a 1 time offer, not by his choice, it's just, those were the rules, I had to leave with him, or never see him again.

"If I left you a note or wrote you a letter, it would have vanished with me."

"I think, I need to tell you a story. The story of how this all happened, when it started, what I did. You may not know this, but you play a big part in it. I just hope..please don't hate me, okay kid? I was so young when it started. Young, and stupid, and resentful of your mom, she didn't deserve it, but my relationship with my own mom was so...complicated. I hate to say this but, even though a part of me regrets it, but now, obviously, a big part of me doesn't."

Toby nodded again. "Okay, Sarah, I'm listening."

So Sarah told him how it all began, About finding the book, about wishing him away, her journey, her triumph, and her inner defeat. Her love for her king, and his love for her. How he came back to her and brought her to the underground.

He was a little angry at first, but as the story unfolded, he realized that she was about the same age he is now, and he could understand, kind of, that you make stupid mistakes when you are 15.

He laughed at the antics of Sarah's friends, and she promised to introduced them to him. He saw the pain in her eyes as she recalled for him that while she had won, deep down she felt she lost. Even at 15, a part of her she didn't even know existed, recognized Jareth immediately as her other half, and to lose him had left a hole in her she never could fill in the human world..which is why she could never settle, never find her path, and had never been truly happy.

After she revealed all to him, he did not speak for a long time.

Finally he reached out for her hand and looked in her eyes.

"You did the right thing, then, Sis. I get it. I guess, I can't help feeling how I feel. That I wish you would have stayed for me. Or took me with you. But, I think I can learn to deal." He said, squeezing her hand.

Sarah hugged him fiercely again. "Oh Tobes! I hope you know how much I missed you! Especially these past few months, the more pregnant I got. I couldn't help thinking how excited you would be to have a niece or nephew."

Toby, in typical teenage fashion, squirmed out of her embrace. "Yeah, I get it. so, what is it like here? I asked that one guy..Caleb? Anyway, he said there is no electricity, so I know no tv and video games..which kinda sucks, but I can learn to live with that. So what do you guys do? Magic right?"

Sarah laughed and ruffled her brother's hair. "His name is Caolin, he is your new brother in law's assistant and friend. True kiddo, no electricity, in the traditional sense. But magic accomplishes many of the same things."

"No tv, that is also true, but hey it rots your brain anyway right? There is whole wonderful world out there to see, let me tell you."

"Can I do magic too?" Toby asked, excited about the prospect.

"Not yet, I don't think..eventually you will at least have some abilities. We will have to wait and see." Sarah answered.

Just then Toby's stomach grumbled, and Sarah noticed the sun was going down.

Toby gave her a sheepish look. "Sorry. I ate earlier, but..well I haven't eaten much lately, besides vending machine food."

Sarah grinned. "Well, let's go eat, you can meet some more people. But, get dressed first I think, I'll go into the next room and wait."

Toby agreed. After she had stepped out of the room , he pulled on the clothes he was given, some stretchy looking pants, a long shirt that laced up the front, a vest and some boots. He looked in the mirror. He thought he looked kind of cool, like a pirate.

A brush provided for him let him smooth his hair back, and he found a leather strip he tied it back in a ponytail with. It had grown alot since his mom died. She always made him keep it short but after...well he didn't feel like cutting it and his uncle didn't care what he did.

He walked into the room where his sister was sitting and waiting.

"Wow, Tobes, look at you! You will fit right in here! Those young immortal girls won't know what hit them!"

He helped her stand when he saw she was having a little trouble, then she took his hand as they walk to the dining hall. He noticed he was almost a head taller than her now. He was nervous at meeting all these people, but he knew Sarah wouldn't let anything happen to him.

When they walk ed in, the quiet conversations inside stopped abruptly.

After a moment, Jareth stood. "Everyone I would like you to meet someone. This is Lord Tobias, brother to the Queen."

Everyone stood.

"Lord Tobias, This is Sir Caolin who you have met, his wife, and Sarah's assistant, Lady Sherryana. My sister, The Duchess Justinia, who is our royal Librarian, and The Royal Healer, Merrik, and Sarah's midwife, The Lady Moirah."

Toby smiled at them all. "Um.. Hi." They all smiled back and bowed their heads, they had been briefed by Jareth beforehand, and knew the boy, being human, would have no knowledge of local customs.

He gestured to the chairs next to him. Sarah took a set next to Jareth, and Toby followed nervously, and took the seat next to her.

A small pointy eared creature brought out a plate of food and set in front of him, and he dug in hungrily.

"Enjoying your food, brother?" Sarah asked. He definitely had that teenage boy appetite.

He nodded, his mouth full. Part of the reason he was keeping his mouth full is it kept him from having to talk or answer questions from all the people around him.

He swallowed and drank some water, getting up the courage to say something.

"Hey..um.. thanks, Goblin King, for bringing me, and the room and clothes and stuff. I don't know what would have happened to me if you had not came there."

Jareth nodded. "You are welcome, Lord Tobias, you are family, and this is your home, please regard it as such."

He looked at Sarah. "I had an idea, love, to send for Jewel to come for a visit. She and Tobias are close in age, it may help him to settle in more easily. She should be here tomorrow."

"That is a wonderful idea Your Majesty!" She turned to Toby. "You will like her Tobes, she is very..how we would say above, cool."

"Okay..I guess." He still wasn't that good with girls, but it might be nice to have someone to hang out with.

They finished eating, and Toby walked back to his rooms alongside his sister and her husband.

He was still very intimidated by the man, even though he wasn't that much taller, he had a presence that made him think of a tightly coiled spring of such immense power that if sprung would fling him across the room with a thought, and odd eyes that when he looked at you made you feel like he could see everything you had ever done and will do. The way he tilted his head when observing something made Toby think of a bird of some kind.

While they had been eating he started to notice the subtle physical changes in his sister, not just the pregnancy stuff, but the upswept brows, the slight sheen to her skin, her hair thicker and longer than it used to be, and looking around the table, he knew she had said the truth, she was one of them. Is this what he would be someday?

Sarah had said he would be changeling..does that mean he would have any of those traits or just some of them?

They had stopped in the front of his room. The two were looking at him oddly, waiting for him to do something.

"Toby? You okay?" Sarah asked finally.

He snapped out of his thoughts. "Oh! Yep I'm fine, just thinking..and tired. Night Sis, and...Goblin King."

"Sleep well, Tobias, if you need anything we are just in the rooms three doors down to the left. To the right is the recently finished nursery rooms, and there is no one else on this hall yet."

"Goodnight Toby." Sarah said, kissing his cheek.

Toby yawned as he nodded. "Okay." He went in and closed the door.

Jareth took his wife's hand and kissed it softly. "Shall we?"

Sarah had been staring at Toby's door, lost in her own thoughts. She turned back to Jareth and smiled. "Yes, husband."

Inside, Toby had changed into some soft cotton pants left on his bed. He guessed he was supposed to sleep in them. He reached into his worn backpack and took out his old Star Wars t-shirt and pulled it over his head. It still smelled like the soap he had used to wash it in a sink at the bus station when he had arrived in Connecticut.

He curled up into a ball under the blankets, wondering what was going to happen to him now.

He turned and found something soft..Lancelot. He smiled, tears coming to his eyes.

"Thanks Sis." He said out loud. He held the old bear tightly to him, finally falling asleep.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The next day dawned bright and sunny. Sarah woke up excited. Her brother was here! She couldn't wait to show him around his new home.

She realized her mind was much more rested that it had been in recent weeks, it was a nice change.

As usual Jareth was already hard at work so she quickly bathed and changed, and made her way to her brother's room.

She knocked on the door, and heard he brothers voice say "Comin', hang on a sec!" In a sleepy voice.

He opened the door yawning.

"Good morning, Tobes. did I wake you up?" She asked.

She noticed his ratty t-shirt and hair sticking up all over and smiled. How she missed him.

"I was just waking up, no biggie. Morning." He said. He had forgotten his sister was so cheery in the morning.

He opened the door wider so she could enter.

"Why don't you get dressed and come down to my room. We can have breakfast there, and talk."

Toby, being a teenage boy, was up for breakfast. "Okay, let me just go put some clothes on and we can do that."

Toby went back to the bedroom and changed back into the clothes from the night before. He figured he had only worn them a few hours so they would be fine.

He washed his face and brushed his hair, putting it back into a ponytail. Examining his reflection he thought long hair suited him. Sarah probably wouldn't make him cut it. It looked like all alot of the guys here had long hair including her own husband.

He went back to his sister waiting in the next room, taking notice again of her changes...and her obvious baby belly.

"Hey sis, how far along are you anyway?" He asked as they walked to Sarah's door.

She cringed a little. "I know..I'm huge. It won't be much longer though. No more than a month in aboveground time. I'm not sure how time here works. I think it's faster here than it is there. If it wasn't for being pregnant I probably would have stopped paying attention. Jareth says eventually that will happen. Time is not so absolute here, more flexible."

"You aren't that big." He said, trying to make her feel better about it. She wasn't really but knowing how girls are she probably thought she was a whale.

That made him think of a girl he knew back in California. Her name was Daisy, she was really curvy, and lots of the other kids made fun of her but he always thought she was pretty. With hazel eyes and curly brown hair, she was always trying to hide her body under loose clothes and stuff. He ate lunch with her a few times and she was always nibbling on lettuce, carrots and yogurt..he thought it was dumb, but girls were like that.

Suddenly a realization hit him. He would never see Daisy again, or any of the other kids...wait...do they even have schools here?

He started breathing funny and feeling a little lightheaded.

Sarah noticed her brother going pale. "Toby, are you alright? Sit down. should I get the healer? I mean doctor I guess you would say?"

He slowly caught his breath again. "No..I just, I guess it hit me that I'm never going back there. That I won't see anybody I knew from there ever again..that they won't even remember me if I did." Tears came to his eyes as he looked at his sister.

Sarah went to him and hugged him tight. "Oh Toby." She started, brushing back the escaped tendrils of hair from his eyes. "I know. It will probably be harder for you than it was for me, in that way. You had lots of friends I know, the only person I felt any regret at leaving behind was you."

He sniffed his tears back. steeling himself. "I'll be okay, just gotta get used to it is all. Do they have schools here?"

Sarah thought for a minute. "You know, I don't know. I never asked. I know Jareth's sister has tutors, but I don't think that is the norm. That's probably what we will do in your case. Get you a tutor."

Toby nodded slowly. "I'm alright sis, really."

She gave him a little half smile. He was trying really hard to be so brave, Sarah thought to herself.

"Well, let's get some breakfast, shall we? I know I'm starving...and I think your niece is too."

She rang the bell and the two elves appeared.

"Good morning Lyndele, Ardele. This is my brother, Toby." She introduced.

The two elves bowed. "My Lord." They said in unison.

Toby silently wondered if he would ever get used to that "Lord" stuff.

"We would both like a nice big breakfast today, and if you could bring me some ginger tea, along with juice and water? I've grown to love it these past months." Sarah requested.

"Yes, My Lady." The said, again in unison. Being more formal than usual, as their queen wasn't alone.

They disappeared, and came back a few minutes later with two trays laden with food, juice, water, and Lyndele came and went a second time to bring a pot of tea and two cups, in case the boy wanted tea too.

Once settled and eating the two siblings chatted, with Toby asking questions about life in the underground, her and Jareth's duties, and what creatures she had seen.

She greatly enjoyed having someone to talk to that was from the same place she was and understood her human phrases and thought patterns without having to explain herself. Jareth, being used to dealing with humans had no problem most of the time but at least once a day she had to explain herself to someone.

When they were mostly done, Jareth swept into the room.

"Good day my beloved!" He said cheerily. "Hello to you as well, Tobias." He said when he noticed Sarah wasn't alone.

"Good morning Goblin King." Toby mumbled, still a little intimidated by his sister's husband.

"I have thought about it, and would like it if you would call me Jareth." He told the young man.

Toby smiled a little. "Only if you would please just call me Toby."

"Agreed" Jareth told him.

Toby stuck out his hand..after a moment Jareth reached out an shook it. He knew it was an aboveground custom and usually he would not, but if it made Toby's transition a bit easier he would allow it this time.

Sarah was grinning from ear to ear.

"So, Your Majesty, have you eaten? We can ask for more..I'm afraid we both demolished what was brought. Your daughter has a big appetite."

"I ate already, wife, do not worry about me." Jareth replied. He bent down and kissed her lightly.

"Gross." Toby declared loudly, then slapped his hand over his mouth. "Sorry."

Sarah and Jareth both laughed at his outburst, Sarah waving it away. "No worries, Tobes, I know how it is."

Jareth cleared his throat. "I do have a reason for interrupting your repast. Jewel will be here in time for lunch today. She is very excited at the prospect of meeting you, Toby. We will all meet for lunch in the dining hall. I have a light workload today it seems, it will be nice to take a meal with my family before dinner."

"Good, Jareth, you work too hard. I've been missing our breakfasts since I've had to slow down." Sarah replied, reaching out and taking his hand.

"As have I, my love. It won't be long now." he smiled softly down at her squeezing her hand, and placed his other hand on her belly.

Sarah nodded. "I have a feeling I won't last the month, for sure. I think she is starting to get restless to see daylight." She said, laughing.

Inside Sarah was terribly nervous about giving birth, she knew it was a painful process and could take a long time. She hoped it wouldn't be that long for her, but no one was sure how it was going to go, due to her dual nature.

Jareth could feel her fears, and gave her hand another squeeze. "You are strong, and it will be fine. I will not leave your side I swear it."

It was not traditionally done here as it was aboveground, a father attending the birth of his child. Sarah had told him it was okay if he didn't want to, but Jareth had been the one to insist. He wanted to be the one to watch over her and be there in case anything went awry.

Toby observed the obvious affection between the two silently. He could see at this moment, when the normally stoic expression on The Goblin King's face changed to one of such tenderness, no one could mistake his adoration of his wife. It was good to know.

He cleared his throat. "Well, I think I will go back to my room and clean up. Ummm..I think I might need a few more changes of clothes..is that okay? Doesn't have to be a lot, just so I can have some stuff to wear when these clothes need to be washed."

Jareth and Sarah finally looked back at Toby. "Oh yes of course!" Sarah said. "We will make sure you have some more clothes today. What do you think Jareth? A few more pairs of pants and tunics? Maybe a couple of sets of formal clothing?"

"That will be fine. You will find what you need in your wardrobe by tomorrow. Clothing is a simple matter when you have magic, which also guarantees your clothes will always be a perfect fit." Jareth told Toby, winking.

"Well, I guess for now I'll have to rely on you guys for that. I don't have it yet. Wait..will I?"  
He asked.

"Eventually yes, you will have limited changeling magic, it will be more than enough to create clothing for yourself however." Jareth answered. "If you have any more questions please do not hesitate to ask, Toby."

"Okay." Toby said, standing and heading towards the door. "I'll see you at lunch guys."

After Toby left, Sarah stood and took her husband's hand, pulling him along with her as she walked to the bedroom.

"Sarah..wherever are you taking me?"

"Come and snuggle with me for a while. You said you have a light work day, I need some alone time with you."

Sarah crawled onto the bed, and pulled Jareth down with her.

"Sarah, you know we cannot..." Jareth started.

"Not that, I know." Sarah sighed. She snuggled into her husband's body, nuzzling his neck. "I just miss you. Now that you are busy so much..please just stay with me a while. Then we can go to lunch with everyone and after you can go back to work...okay?"

Jareth relaxed letting her press herself against him, enjoying her warmth. He knew quite well how she felt, lately it seemed they only saw each other before they went to bed and at the evening meal.

"As you wish, precious."

Sarah full from breakfast and warm from cuddling with Jareth, slowly dozed off.

Jareth, not wanting to disturb her conjured the book he had been reading from the bookshelf and enjoyed a quiet couple of hours alone with his beloved while she slept next to him. Very soon these moments will be almost nonexistent he knew.

Once he saw it was getting close to lunch he woke his wife with a kiss.

"Sarah we must get up. Jewel will be here shortly." He said as he stroked her face.

Sarah opened her eyes, yawned and stretched. She smiled sleepily up at her husband.

"Wow. I can't seem to stay awake anymore...but what a nice face to wake up to." She said.

"It is to be expected, I'm supposing. That you would tire easily now." Jareth said as he got up.

He went around the bed and knelt down, slipping Sarah's shoes on her feet for her. He knew she had been having a bit of a difficult time bending down lately. Stubbornly she never asked for help but today she was just drowsy enough to not protest.

She held her hands out and Jareth pulled her up, Sarah tipping forward a little too much and leaning into him.

"Oops..sorry, I'm a bit off center lately." She laughed as Jareth helped her right herself.

He chuckled. "I can see that..if I didn't know better I would accuse of you of being under the influence of goblin ale."

He offered his arm and they went to the dining hall where he was to meet his sister and told Teagus to fetch Toby as he may not know his way yet.

Jewel was already waiting for them when the entered.

"Jareth! Sarah!" She said loudly, hugging both in turn. She backed up and looked at her sister-in-law. "Sarah! you are almost ready to give birth aren't you? Oh I hope I get to stay to see the baby! Can I?"

"As far I am concerned, you can stay as long as you like, but you will have to talk to your parents and brother about it. It won't be much longer anyway." Sarah answered.

Just then Teagus walked in guiding toby. "Lord Tobias, Your Majesties." He announced, then backed out of the room to join his fellow guards for their meal in the common dining area.

Toby had bathed and straightened himself up trying to look presentable.

He went to join Sarah and Jareth and noticed the young redheaded girl about his age with them, and blushed furiously.

Wow, she is hot. He thought. He hoped he wouldn't make an idiot of himself.

"Toby, this is Jareth's sister, Jewel. Jewel, this my brother, Toby."

Jewel was admiring the human boy. He had shoulder length golden blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She found him quite attractive, and found herself drawn to him. She noticed his blush and was utterly charmed by it.

Toby stuck his hand out. "Nice to meet you...Jewel."

Jewel had started to curtsy but noticed the hand he had held out to her. She slowly took it and the boy shook it up and down. She looked at him oddly. Must be an aboveground custom.

"I am honored to make your acquaintance, Lord Toby." She fluttered her lashes downward.

He rolled his eyes. "Please just call me Toby, okay? I mean if we are going to be friends, all the Lord and Lady stuff isn't necessary is it?"

"I suppose not...Toby." She smiled in acceptance of his request.

Jareth cleared his throat. "Ahem.. Why don't we all sit? I requested a light lunch of bread, cheese and fruit."

Sarah had observed the two young people, smiling at the obvious attraction.

"Yes, that sounds great..I had a huge breakfast but I'm already getting hungry again. Eating for two, you know!" she said patting her abdomen.

After lunch Sarah suggested Jewel take Toby on a tour of the grounds. She was glad to have the time alone with him to get to know him better.

"So Jewel," Toby asked. "You don't live here..where do you live?'

She took his arm as they walked. "I live in the capital city, Talystra, with my parents. Its a lovely place, very different than The Goblin Kingdom though. Always busy and a much larger population of immortals."

Toby nodded, not really knowing, but taking her word for it.

"What is it like...growing up aboveground?" Jewel asked in turn.

"Umm..it's cool..I mean good. Cool means good there. Anyway, I went to school with a bunch of other kids, and lived with my family until my dad died. Then my mom and me moved to California..which is a state, sort of like...well...my country is divided into 50 states, and California is a state across the country from where I was born which is a state called Connecticut. That is where Sarah was born too. Then my mom died a while ago..and I remembered Sarah...and well now I'm here."

Jewel tried to follow and make sense of what he said. It was rather confusing. She needed to study more about the aboveground.

"I am sorry about the loss of your parents, Toby. That must have been difficult." she said to him.

"Yeah..it was. but I was lucky to be able to have a chance to come here. I missed my sister."

Jewel smiled. "Speaking of that, I was thinking of making a party for Sarah. I know from talking to some changelings, that they do that aboveground for expecting ladies. I thought it would be fun to make it a surprise."

Toby paused. "Oh..you mean a baby shower? Yep they do that type of thing aboveground. I went to a couple with my mom. They had cake and played games..stuff like that...and people brought the pregnant lady presents, too. But it's usually just woman and kids, and we would probably have to do it different here..maybe have whoever her friends are come and stuff."

Jewel jumped up and down in joy clapping her hands. "Please tell me all you remember. We can make it nice, if you will help me?"

Toby thought a minute..a baby shower? He would like to do something nice for Sarah and since there seemed to be no one else to step up and do it..he guessed maybe he should.

"Sure..yes, let's do it."

They spent the afternoon making plans. When they went back to the castle they went to Jareth's study. The guard notified him they were there, and he told the guard to let them in.

Jewel practically ran across the room to her brother while Toby stood just inside the door.

"Brother! Toby and I want to make a baby party for Sarah! Please say we can!" Jewel exclaimed.

Jareth smirked at his sister. "Jewel, what is this about, you want to have a party for Sarah?"

Toby reluctantly walked to stand beside Jewel. "She asked me about it, aboveground we call it a baby shower. It's a pretty common thing people do from pregnant women there."

Jareth understood. "Ah. I see. Well, if you both want to arrange some sort of gathering for Sarah, I have no issue with that. What do you need?"

Jewel looked at Toby expectantly, since he knew more about it. "Well...we will need a cake, and some other food. Some decorations and we will need to know who to invite. You know, like..who Sarah's friends are and stuff...and for everyone to bring a gift."

Jewel looked back at her brother. "We want to make it a surprise too. We can have it in the gardens. Nothing formal, just a fun informal party like Toby was telling me about. I think she would like it. I was thinking day after tomorrow lunchtime?"

Jareth smiled wider, raising an eyebrow at the two young people.. "I think that would be fine, you two. Conspiring already are we? I can see I will have to keep a close eye now that you have a partner to cause mischief with, my dear sister. Let me know what you need, and who you want to invite. I will make sure the dwarf, the rock caller and the knight are informed."

"Thank you brother!" Jewel said, hugging her brother and grabbing Toby's hand dragging him along behind her. As they left, Caolin came in, nodding a greeting the two young people.

Once the door was closed Caolin asked. "What was that about, My lord?"

Jareth was still shaking his head and laughing. "Nothing but trouble, I'm sure, Sir Caolin. Please inform your wife to be available at lunchtime in the Queens Gardens day after tomorrow. It seems Jewel and Toby are throwing her a surprise party."

Caolin gave him a questioning look. "Of course I will let her know, Your Majesty. Pardon me for saying so, but I do believe those two are going to be handful."

Jareth nodded. "I wholeheartedly agree."

He wondered what his parents would be saying about this interesting turn of events.

Jewel and Toby spent the next two days gathering whatever decorations the could think up..Toby was grateful of Jewel and Jareth's magic..he would describe to the best of him recollections what they needed, and if it wasn't available they were able to create it a closely as possible.

So they had streamers, and some funny looking stork like birds made of paper. No balloons though, They tried, but plastic was very difficult to create magically as it is a wholly unnatural substance. so they did without.

Using Toby's descriptions, Lyndele and Ardele were able to recreate an aboveground style decorated cake. They procured some nice chairs and tables and wrapped flowers around them, and made paper plates and napkins in lots of pretty colors.

The morning of the party, They convinced Sherryana to distract Sarah with busywork and conversation while they set everything up.

They invited Hoggle, Didymus and Ambrosius, and of course Ludo. Also attending would be Justinia, Moirah, Caolin and Sherryana, Merrik, and any goblins who wished to attend with stern instructions from their king to behave themselves or be eternally bogged.

Jewel decided against inviting her parents and sister back in Talystra, as they would disapprove of a gathering that was so informal.

They all gathered in the gardens and Jareth went to fetch Sarah, finding her in the dining hall puzzled at being alone and no food available.

"My queen, is there something wrong?" He said.

She turned. "Where is everyone?" She asked.

"What do you mean? I suppose everyone is busy and taking lunch elsewhere. It's not uncommon you know." He answered, trying to sound casual.

"Okay..well at least you will be here to eat with me." She shrugged.

"I have arranged for us to lunch in the gardens love. It is such a nice day, I thought I might take the opportunity to court my wife a little." he put his arms around her, and kissed her nose.

"Ohh that sounds nice." Sarah replied, hugging him back. "Let's go..I'm starving."

Jareth escorted her, walking slowly to the area where everyone else waited not wanting to appear suspiciously in a hurry.

As they rounded the corner, the crowd yelled "Surprise!"

Sarah jumped a little, gasping. "Ohh my god! What is all this?!"

Jewel went and took Sarah's hand, leading her to the group. "It's a baby party! I mean shower! Do you like it?"

Sarah looked at all the decorations there, everyone gathered around, even a cake in the center of the table...her brother was nearby, smiling. "A baby shower Tobes?" She asked.

He laughed a little. "Well, Jewel said she wanted to have a party for you, I was the one who told her about baby showers. I thought you might like it..and since my mom and your mom aren't here..well..you know.." he started blushing again.

She went and hugged her brother tightly. "Thank you Toby, I love it." Her eyes filling with happy tears.

Sarah had a lovely afternoon surrounded by her loved ones. Everyone had a great time eating, laughing and talking.

For the underground natives this was new type of gathering but they seemed to accept it all in good stride.

Toby put Sir Didymus in charge of guarding the cake from goblins who kept trying to take bites of it until Jareth growled and threatened them. "You goblins best behave yourselves, or I will bog you then throw you all in a oubliette with only your stench for company!"

The offending goblins slunk off knowing their king would do it gladly.

Sarah opened her presents, the ladies had all made little blankets and baby clothing, Hoggle had crafted a rattle out of carved wood, and Sir Didymus had woven a small fox shaped stuffed animal out of a plant the when cultivated and dried was the softest material in the underground.

Ludo had gifted her with a small rock, which Sir Didymus, being Ludo's "brother" explained could be broken open and that after baby was born, the rock itself would craft a crystal perfectly suited to the child. It could be made into a piece of jewelry which Hoggle volunteered to create when the time came.

It was a tradition among his kind when babies were born, of which Ludo was one of the last. The tribes had escaped the troll kingdom long ago due to trolls hunting and killing the gentle creatures..and they had dwindled through the years to only a few remaining rock callers spread throughout the realm.

He had carried the few remaining of these special rocks with him from his home mountain caves, thinking someday he would have them for his offspring. Being alone now, he decided that he would gift to the offspring of those he loved.

The goblins, being foragers and rummagers, have her all sorts of bits and pieces of stuff they had found. String, flowers, leaves, rocks, a couple of mismatched shoes, and the like. She thanked them all kindly piling everything up neatly thinking to herself what in the world she was going to do with it.

Toby, digging through his belongings had found a picture of all of them, even Linda, Sarah's mother. They had went to visit her when she was in the hospital and took a picture outside under a tree. Toby though it might be nice for the baby to know who her mortal family had been, where Sarah came from.

When he gave it to his sister, she hugged him again and cried promising it would have a place of honor in the baby's room.

After everyone had eaten the elves' very nice peach flavored cake and the goblins had made a nice mess throwing their portions at each other, to which the were again threatened by Jareth unless the cleaned up the entire party mess, the party broke up and everyone starting to excuse themselves and return to their homes and/or to the castle.

Sarah having worn herself out retired to her chambers for a nap while Jareth magicked all the presents to the nursery to be sorted out later.

After making sure Sarah was sleeping, He went back to his study and finished up some correspondence to the court.

He thought on the events of the afternoon and shook his head at how his world had been turned upside down and inside out all because of that night all those years ago, when a young dark haired girl wished away her baby brother...and now that girl was grown and sleeping in his bed, pregnant with his child.

There was time he would not have dared imagine it would ever happen, and now, soon, they would be bringing new life into this world.

Smiling to himself, The Goblin King went back to his duties.

A few nights later, Jareth and Sarah were sleeping when Sarah was awoke by a severe pain ripping through her abdomen.

She gasped and sat up, clutching her belly."Oh God.."

Jareth was wide awake instantly, . "Sarah? What is it?"

Sarah, who was just trying to breathe, grabbed his arm. " I think...ugh.." She winced. "I think I'm in labor..." She felt the pain subside a little. She felt moisture between her legs and looked and saw her water had obviously broken.

"Fuck that hurt!" She exclaimed. "I think my water broke too."

Jareth was already up and dressed magically.. "Relax as much as possible. I will fetch the midwife and Sherryana."

He disappeared, not bothering with worrying about doing things conventionally.

In a few matter of a few minutes Moirah was at her side.

"Lay back, My Lady, I must examine you, and see what is going on."

She did a quick exam. "Yes, this babe is coming, and she is in a rush, it will not be long, your body is dilating at a rapid pace, and yes, your water has broken."

Sarah grunted and cried out as another wave of pain hit her. "Jareth?!" Where is Jareth?"

He was instantly there, feeling her pain and hearing her through their bond. Sherryana followed  
by a few seconds.

He knelt down next to the bed, and grasped her hand. "I am here my love, I told you I would be her by your side, did I not?"

Sarah panted, trying to answer him. "Yes...I...oh..wow..this really...hurts...errrg!" She grunted out, gritting her teeth.

Moirah was busy preparing for Sarah to deliver. She ordered Sherryana to bring clean linens, a basin of warm water, and to stand by for further instructions.

Jareth was trying to talk softly to his wife, to help her through, but he was thoroughly at a loss at what to do. Men were not usually not present at childbirth in his world so they really had little idea of how difficult or painful it really was.

He opened the bond up and was overwhelmed at the pain that was coming from Sarah...it was excruciating. he had to dampen it so he could concentrate on Sarah. He just held on to her hand as she struggled through the contractions.

"You can do this, my love..I am here." He told her.

"Jareth..I have to say as good as sex with you is..I am seriously rethinking it." She said through a clenched jaw.

Moirah, down at the other end chuckled. "Never fear My Lord, I hear that all the time. Since I am never at a need to look for a job doing something other than birthing children, it never seems to stick."

"How is she doing, midwife?" Jareth asked.

"She is coming along nicely, I do not foresee any complications at this point in time." Moirah answered.

Sarah, listening to their exchange. "Do you all mind?! Trying to to give birth here!" She yelled, as another contraction hit. "Arrrghh..crap!"

Moirah turned to the blonde standing by. "Please take a cloth, dampen it, and wipe the queen's face."

Sherryana did as he was asked. "I am here as well My Lady, if you have need of me." She said as she wiped the sweat off Sarah's face.

Sarah was trying to take deep breaths in between pains and just nodded at the woman.

Through the breathing and the pain she managed to ask "Moirah..is it good or bad it seems to be going so fast?" Anyone I've ever...oh god another one..." She couldn't speak anymore.

"My Lady, I honestly do not know. It is rare, but you are exceptionally strong in power even for a Queen that may be part of the reason. I have seen it a few times though, every woman is different. Did you mother deliver you quickly? I have heard it can run in families."

Once the contraction ended, she was able to answer. "Yes she did..I never thought about it she told me several times that she almost had me in the car on the way to the hospital. That my daddy was scared shitless he was going to have to pull over and catch me as I came out."

Moirah nodded. "There you are then. Most likely a combination of all these elements are effecting your situation."

About 2 hours of going between breathing and gasping in pain, as well cursing her husband one minute and apologizing the next, Moirah pronounced it was time to start pushing.

"Are you ready, Your Majesty? Your princess wants to make her first appearance." Moirah told her.

"My Lord, please, if you could, since you insist on being here get behind her and when I say push, your will help her push. Usually I have her assistant assume that role." She said in a disapproving tone. "Sherryana, please stand by me and hand me what I need when I need it."

About a minute later another contraction hit. An exceptionally hard one that tore through Sarah, making her scream.

"Push Sarah! Push now!" Moirah exclaimed. Sarah sat up, and grunted and pushed, feeling her baby start to move downward.

Sherryana was watching the baby's head crown. "Oh my goodness!" She exclaimed excitedly.

Moirah gave her a stern look "Please, Lady Sherryana."

When the contraction was over Sarah leaned back against her husband, breathing heavily.

A few seconds later another came. They went through the same process.

"Almost there, Sarah, one more big push and the shoulders will be out, then the babe will come easily." Moirah told her.

Then another intense contraction began, and Sarah pushed through the pain.

She felt a sensation unlike anything she could describe, like all her insides were sliding out of her and sort of whooshing feeling.

Moirah Exclaimed. "She is out!"

The next thing Sarah heard were the small cries of her baby daughter.

Jareth had been trying to watch while helping Sarah heard the cries and asked "She is well? Midwife? The babe?"

Moirah was busy wiping the newborn off, gently, then wrapping her in the soft blankets Sherryana handed her.

"Please stand, Your Majesty."

Jareth reluctantly leaned Sarah gently back as he slid out from behind her and stood, unused to being commanded by anyone.

Moirah laid the small bundle in his arms. "I present to you your daughter, The Goblin High Princess."

She then went back to attending the queen.

Jareth looked into the small face of his daughter with wonder. his blue eyes met bright turquoise gems, a perfect blend of blue and green and he took note that she was dark haired like her mother. The baby mewled softly, and seemed to examine closely. He stroked her cheek and she reached out and grasped his finger.

Sarah was craning her neck. "Jareth..hey..Jareth? Hello...Can I see her too?"

Finally Jareth looked up and noticed his wife holding her hands out.

"OH! I am sorry! Of course!" He laid the baby into her mother's arms.

Sarah was amazed at her baby girl, as soon as their eyes met, she felt the bond strengthen to profound depths being anything she felt even when the child was growing within her. She kissed her small cheek.

"She is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen." She breathed. "I never imagined she would be so gorgeous."

Jareth sat next to her watching his wife and child. Sarah looked up, tears streaming down her face. "I love you so much Jareth..look what we made!"

Jareth felt tears come to his eyes as well, but managed to keep them from falling for the moment while there were others in the room, out of habit.

"She is beautiful, beloved. I love you too. We did a fine job I would say. She looks very much like you."

She grinned up at him. "She has your cheekbones though, thankfully."

"Ah yes..I do believe she does..well they are my best feature." Jareth said, smiling back.

"You have no bad features, Your Majesty." Sarah said. "Please."

"I will not argue with you on that point, precious." He answered grinning.

Sarah shook her head, and turned back to the infant in her arms.

Moirah finished taking care of Sarah's physical needs while the new parents cooed and held their new daughter and then quietly examined her and the baby with magic to make sure there was no more immediate issues to take care of.

She also made sure everything was cleaned up with a wave of her hand, including the queen, so that Sarah could be comfortable. She pulled the blankets over the woman so she would properly covered and warm.

Stepping back she looked outside.

"My word, the babe was born just as dawn broke. If that is not a good sign of things to come I cannot imagine what would be."

Sarah looked up to the midwife. "Thank you Moirah, for everything."

"Just doing my job, My Lady." She replied, smiling at the new family.

Sherryana stepped forward. "She is beautiful Your Majesties, what eyes she has! There are several people awaiting the outcome. Shall I go inform them? They are waiting out in the hall."

Jareth answered. "If you would, Lady Sherryana."

Sarah said. "They can come and see her, if they want, I don't mind."

She left the room and a few minutes later was followed back in by a group of quiet, but smiling people, Toby being the first to tiptoe in.

Sarah giggled, she felt strangely euphoric now that the whole ordeal was over. "You don't have to sneak in, Tobes. Come and see your niece."

Toby slowly walked over, leaning to see the child.. "Wow, she is pretty cute. For a baby, I guess."

One by one, Jewel, Merrik, Justinia, then Caolin stepped over to the bed to see the infant, and offer congratulations.

Jareth stood. "We will have an official introduction ceremony next week."

"What's her name?" Toby blurted. Everyone looked at Jareth expectantly.

Sarah spoke up. "Well we discussed this act length, it was not easy, both of us had pretty set ideas, but then a few days ago something came to me, and strangely enough it occurred to Jareth around the same time. We have a suspicion The Labyrinth was putting it's two cents in. We both really like it, and think everyone else will too."

Jareth took the babe from Sarah, tilting her enough so all could see her.

"I would like you all to me Harmony Rose, High Princess of The Goblins, First Born Daughter of Jareth and Sarah, King and Queen of the Goblins."

"That is wonderful!" Jewel said, and murmurs of agreement ran through the gathered group.

The baby started fussing, so Jareth handed her back to Sarah quickly.

"Yeah yeah yeah, mortal or not..just like a man." Sarah told everyone, causing laughter to break out.

Moirah spoke up then. "Alright alright, everyone out. This babe is hungry, and I need to make sure  
there are no feeding problems before I leave them alone."

Everyone filed out. Jareth took a chair and brought it to the side of the bed. So Moirah could help the queen nurse for the first time.

Sarah quickly got the hang of things, and Moirah pronounced that all was well enough that she could leave them alone for a while.

The pair of new parents spent the rest of the morning with their new baby, Jareth fetching the cradle from the nursery and set it next to the bed.

When Sarah got sleepy, he took his daughter and laid her softly in cradle, and kicking off his boots, laid next to his wife.

He did not sleep, but simply watched mother and child rest.

"How you turn my world, you precious things." He said softly. Kissing his wife's forehead, keeping watch over his family.

He did not know what the future might hold but he knew with profound certainty he would kill or die for them, and that was a profound revelation to The Goblin King. He never in his long life expected to find such a depth of emotion that being there, next to his wife, watching his child sleeping, gave him.

"I promise you both I will protect you both with everything I am."

He meant every word. He knew if ever the time came to leave this life it would be the memory of this moment that would be his last thought, his beloved Sarah and the child they created safe and sleeping next to him.

He left the bed and went to the balcony slipping outside and looking out over The Labyrinth.

"She is a beautiful child, My King." He heard the voice of The Labyrinth say. "You and The Queen did well. You have secured all of our futures, for she will be powerful and wise enough to conquer any hardships she will face."

"I pray to the Gods she never has to face any hardships, even though I know such prayers are in vain. Just for now, I prefer to believe only good will ever touch her." He replied, crossing his arms.

The Labyrinth understood why he felt this way for a parent would only wish a peaceful existence to their child.

"I'm sure she will be prepared well regardless. Jareth. Her parentage guarantees that much."

Jareth turned and observed the peaceful scene.

"Let us hope so, Labyrinth..let us hope so."

He went back inside, closed the door and pulled the curtains, going back to his family.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"Jareth, your mother is driving me crazy." Sarah said as she stomped into his study, slamming the door behind her.

Harmony had been born 1 month before, and Jareth's family had been at the Goblin Castle for three weeks. At first Sarah was happy they wanted to come and see the baby, but Illiana had spent most of the time nitpicking at Sarah and, as she kept calling it, "Her mortal ways." Sarah was just about fed up with it.

Jareth looked up, dreading to hear the latest antics his mother had been up to.

He had had to keep Sarah from winging a crystal at her that would have sealed his mothers mouth shut just two days before.

In theory, he agreed, but knew the repercussions of such an action would be dire indeed, at least for maintaining peace in his family.

"What has my mother said now, precious, to upset you so?" Trying to keep his voice low and calming.

"She is still insisting I hire a wet nurse because, as she put it, "A queen of my stature nursing a baby was unseemly and if I have to go to council, everyone will be appalled."

"Like I would whip out my boobs in public in the first place. Ugh! A wet nurse? I mean really Jareth, what the hell?"

Jareth smirked and looked down, not wanting Sarah to see his expression. Gathering himself, and keeping his expression neutral, he looked up again.

"It is quite common here to have a nanny that is also a wet nurse, my love. I certainly would think you would refrain from exposing yourself among the council and court, you would be apt to start a riot showing your sumptuous breasts to all those drooling dilettantes, and not because doing so would be shocking, but because of your unequaled beauty.

"I would prefer it if the only drooling male ogling your exposed chest would be me."

Sarah sighed. "Why do you insist on taking the wind out of my sails, by being all sweet and sexy?" Her anger slowly dissipating.

"I found it to be a most effective tool to combat your rather impressive temper, wife." He answered.

Sarah dramatically threw herself into the chair across from her husband watching him read and sign papers approving or denying the regular pile at petitions that came through his office every day.

"The Goblin King's work is never done." She remarked.

He signed his name with flourish, then laid the pen down and sat back, admiring the woman across from him.

"I don't ever expect it to be at this late date..precious...if the work ever stops, I do think that would be a sign of the world falling down around us. As long as it keeps coming, it is proof the world is continuing to push forward."

Sarah stood and walked around the desk, sliding onto the king's lap and wrapping her arms around him, then leaning in for a kiss.

"Ahh I feel better now." She said, pulling back, and running her fingers through her husband's soft hair and over his face.

He tugged her back to him, kissing her again, long and deep, his tongue tasting her sweet mouth.

"MMM..yes, as do I...your presence is quite rejuvenating..." He ran his hands over he body, relishing in her generous curves, making him start to harden.

She stood up reluctantly, removing herself from his embrace. "Not yet, my love..soon, I promise."

Secretly she had went to Moirah that morning, who had pronounced her fully healed. Her now immortal body healing much faster than is she had been human, but she wanted to do something special for her husband, so she decided to let him think she wasn't quite ready for lovemaking yet.

She had something in mind but it would take some time to plan her seduction.

Jareth slumped down dejectedly. "Damn it woman, I must have you soon or I will go insane. When you are near me I am so aroused I can barely concentrate."

She smiled, and caressed his cheek. "I know I miss you too, soon I promise."

He sat back up and adjusted himself, being in no condition to stand up at that moment. He pulled his chair closer to his desk and picked up another piece of correspondence.

"I best get to work, if I want to finish before the evening meal. Is there anything else you wanted to discuss, Sarah?"

She knew he was a bit disappointed, she could tell by the distance in his voice and he almost always used her name and not some pet name when he was frustrated with her, she best get her plan in place quickly, she thought.

"No...please..don't shut down on me Jareth. It is the price we have to pay from having babies." She told him in a soft voice.

He threw the paper he was hold back down. "I know, love...I just..No I know. I would not change a thing. How is our lovely babe this afternoon?"

"She ate a hearty breakfast and lunch, that's for sure. She is sleeping under the watchful eye of Justinia right now. Your sister adores her. I am glad of it, I know how heavy her heart was after her ordeal."

"I am glad to hear that as well. I do think Merrik is quite enamored of Justinia. While he is quite a bit older than her, I would approve if he asked to court her. My mother, however..." He let the thought hang there unfinished, knowing Sarah would get the idea.

"Excuse me for saying this, but your mother has a giant stick up her butt. Merrik is a good kind man. If Justinia cares for him, she should go for it. He is gentle and mild mannered, just what I think she needs. I honestly don't know how you are soo..liberal, relatively I mean."

Jareth laughed at her truly imaginative human words. "Stick up her butt? Indeed...I take it you don't mean that literally. Also by your words I take you think I do not have any sort of thing. THAT is something that I do not think I would enjoy, at all."

Sarah laughed with him. "No if I did think that, this might be a completely different conversation, my dear."

He grinned. "Anyway, I do not consider myself particularly liberal, as you put it. Since we first met I have had what you might call, a change of heart on personal relationships."

"I cannot even imagine entering into the kind of arranged marriages that are commonplace here, or forcing that on anyone else. Loving the person you choose to marry is much more important to me now. I cannot imagine why that is."

"Good to hear, Your Majesty." Sarah answered. "Considering that love may be in the air for Toby and Jewel as well. Jewel confided in me that she kissed Toby yesterday."

Jareth sighed loudly, putting his face in his hands. "Gods. Not that I disapprove of them having a relationship. How and when did these younglings get old enough to start pairing off?"

"Just wait until it's our own children dating..or courting..whatever you call it. Then we can feeling old together." Sarah said. "I think it's sweet. I just hope they wait to..you know..until they are a bit older. I know here it's common to be getting busy at Jewel's age, but for Toby..well he is still mostly human, and I think he is too young and not ready emotionally to be having a physical relationship with anyone."

Jareth frowned. "There is more to it than that, love. They will bond, due to Toby's nature, and inability to protect himself from it, and that could be disastrous, because it would be a very long time before he would be powerful enough to go through the process of breaking that bond. Hundreds of years I would say. So they could not find anyone else even if they wanted to."

That was news to Sarah. "I didn't know that bond breaking was possible." Sarah answered, puzzled.

"Immortal to Immortal, it is. You see Toby does not have then benefit of being made a Keeper, so his strength will be a gradual process even if he fully bonded with an immortal. Technically he would age as an immortal, as he will eventually anyway, but the magical side of it would not be immediate as it was with you. Until he is at nearly full strength it would be deadly to try to go through the bond breaking process. It is the opposite of making the bond, unpleasant and painful, sapping one's strength to a very dangerous low."

Sarah lowered her eyes, then raised them again. "So..you could break our bond? If you wanted? If you wanted to find someone else?" The thought distressed her.

Jareth stood, and hugged his wife to himself. "No I could not do that, nor would I. I could not break our bond because doing so would rip me to shreds. I would not want ever each out to you, and find you absent from me. I have done that already, saying it was unpleasant to feel that gaping hole where you belong inside me was the most painful experience of my life, is an understatement. I can assure you..I will NEVER let you go, and never even consider such a thing. If you are ever taken from me again, I swear to you, I will follow soon after."

A tear escaped her eye, then Sarah pulled back from him, wiping her eyes. "I know. I just never knew it was possible. I'm still having occasional issues of emotional overload I guess. I'm sorry I reminded you of that. I thought bonding was a permanent thing."

He smirked at her, meeting her eyes. "It is good to remember now and then, that you were almost lost to me, twice. First after your initial visit, then again back in that horrible place. It makes me remember something else. That as frustrated, and angry, and upset I may get, I am the most blessed man in this world or any other. Our bond IS 100 percent permanent."

They embraced for a long time, until finally Sarah reluctantly left her husbands arms. "Well, I think I better go check on the baby. Make sure she isn't hungry again. I will see you at dinner?" She asked.

"Oh definitely, precious. Until dinner." He answered, sitting back down in his chair and picking up his work. "I love you, my Sarah, never doubt that, my heart is in your hands, as it always has been since I first looked into those green eyes of yours." He said to her retreating back.

She turned and smiled at her husband. " I love you..Your Majesty."

She left the study, smiling, headed towards the library where her daughter was with her aunt.

Jareth watched her go, smiling himself.

When Sarah arrived at the library, Harmony was awake and enjoying the attentions of Justinia, and Jolena, there visiting her sister. Jolena, usually more stoic like her parents, had melted when she had first held the babe in her arms. The first niece and grandchild was quite a hit with all of the family.

Personally Sarah had a feeling it was her daughter's doing, she seemed to already have a gift of wrapping everyone who she came in contact with around her finger, even Illiana, who still liked to pick at Sarah, cooed and fussed over her granddaughter more than anyone would have ever thought she would have, and Jastiel was completely besotted with the baby, almost as much as her father.

Thinking of that brought the night before to mind; Sarah had put Harmony in her cradle after feeding her, and then went to take a quick bath as Jareth had been there to keep an eye on her. When she came out of the bath chamber, the baby must have a woken because he was cradling her against himself, walking back and forth, talking to the child softly, as the Harmony stared at him in rapt attention...then she had reached up and touched his face.

Again Sarah wished she had a camera. She wondered if she did acquire one, if it would work. Jareth said aboveground gadgets are not able to capture his people in a conventional manner, but this was the digital age..who knew?

She had a feeling, no matter how many children they had, Harmony would always be a Daddy's girl, and have an extra special connection with him, which made her happy, yet little sad too.

"Sarah?"

Her mind came back to the present to hear Justinia addressing her. "Ohh Hi.. sorry, lost in thought for a minute. How is she doing?"

Jolena answered. "She is doing wonderfully, I think she is entertaining us as much as we are entertaining her. You are truly blessed, Lady Sarah."

Justinia was cradling the baby who was waving her arms excitedly as her two aunts fussed over her.

Sarah went to stand by them and watch the interaction. Then touched her daughter's face stroking her cheek. "Hello my sweet baby, I expect you are becoming quite spoiled aren't you?"

At her mother's voice, her head tilted up to try and focus on Sarah, and she made gurgling noise and waved her arms even more, towards Sarah.

Justina gave a reluctant sigh. "I think she wants her mother."

Sarah picked the baby up out of her sister in law's arms and held her close. "There's my girl! Are you hungry?"

The baby eyes seemed to brighten at the idea of food.

"Alright. Ladies, I thank you for watching her this afternoon, It was nice to take a walk and get a chance to speak with my husband alone. Justinia may a speak with you in private before I go?"

"Certainly." Justinia replied, looking at her sister.

Jolena stood. "I must be off anyway, certainly Ivan is wondering where I have gotten to." She kissed the baby on the forehead, and left the other two alone.

Justinia spoke then. "I can lock the door if you would like to feed Harmony here, Sarah, I do not mind, really. I am not bothered by such things like my mother and sister."

Sarah nodded in thanks, she gestured to the chairs by the fireplace and sat, unbuttoning her dress and placing the baby to her breast. Justinia locked the door and then sat across from the queen, waiting expectantly.

"Justinia, I do not know if you know this, but Merrik seems to have an affection for you, but I think you would have noticed." Sarah remarked as she nursed the baby.

Justinia nodded. "I am aware, Lady Sarah. I do not know if I am ready for such a thing at this time."

Sarah looked at the woman across from her with sympathy. "I just wanted to speak to you privately to let you know..I get it. I just think you might want to speak with him and let him know how you feel. He is a good man, and maybe someday would be a good match, but it hasn't been that long since...everything happened. If there is one thing I can speak of, it is the importance of honesty between two people, you know? But I also want to encourage you to not give up on finding love."

"I do think he is a good man as well, and I do find myself attracted to him. I just.. I feel tainted now. I do not know if, in the end, anyone could accept what I did..I mean I laid with..with such a creature, one of such evil." Justinia replied, looking down, feeling ashamed.

"But it was not your doing..not purposely. You were deceived and betrayed. Merrik knows this. I think he already accepts it. Just..don't write him off before you give him a chance, is really what it comes down to. You don't have to jump into to anything. Just talk to him." Sarah told her, reaching over with her free hand and grasping it for a moment.

"Thank you, Sarah, I do appreciate you coming and speaking with me about this...perhaps..soon..I will speak with him." Justinia said, looking up again.

Sarah nodded. "Also, I wanted to ask, would you mind watching the baby tonight after dinner for a few hours? I will make sure she is nice and fed, she usually sleeps for a good stretch once she has her evening feeding at least 5 or 6 hours. I need to..spend some time alone with my husband."

Justina grinned, she knew exactly what Sarah was saying. "Yes..of course! I can watch her as long as you need me too."

Sarah was relieved. "Thank you so much!" The baby was done feeding, so Sarah conjured up a piece of cloth and put her over her shoulder, burping her.

Justinia jumped up. "Here let me take her while you fix your dress."

Sarah handed the baby over, straightened her clothing, then took the baby back.

"Well, then I will see you at dinner." She told the other woman. She turned and left the library, with her sleepy daughter in her arms, she had a few things she wanted to gather for her plans later in the evening.

"Until later!" Justinia called after her, then got back to sorting the books that had been laying around and putting them back into their places.

Sarah took her daughter to the nursery, sitting with her in the rocking chair Jareth had created for her. It was her favorite place to feed the baby, but she was sleeping, so Sarah put her into her crib and sat in the chair quietly watching her.

There was a soft knock. "Sar?" She heard her brother's voice. "Hey..umm..Jareth asked to talk to me before dinner, do you know what that's about? Did I do something wrong? " He whispered, noticing his sleeping niece.

Sarah waved him in. "Pull up a chair, Tobes. Yes I do..maybe I should tell you.. I know you kissed Jewel yesterday. Jareth, I think, wants to talk to you about some man to man type stuff."

Toby blushed hotly. "I'm sorry, I didn't know I wasn't supposed to..he isn't mad at me is he? She kissed me first, really."

"No, no he isn't. There are just a few things you need to know. I know you already know about the birds and bees, but, well some things are different when it comes to hooking up with immortal girls, and he wants to fill you in. But..please be careful Toby, and don't go too far."

"There a some big consequences, and I'm not talking babies or diseases..okay? I'm sure Jareth wants to make sure you are clear on what sex means here, especially since you are still mostly human."

Toby nodded. "Umm..okay. As long as he isn't mad at me. Big brother and all."

Sarah laughed softly. "Well I'm the big sister so he knows he would have to deal with me first, and let's just say I have some sway in that department. Don't be afraid of him Tobes, trust me when I say, to him you are family, and he would protect you with his life just like all of us. He is like that. He takes care of his own."

"I'll try, sis. I suppose it will take time to get used to..everything here." Toby answered, getting up and heading towards the door. "See you at dinner."

Sarah waved, watching him leave. She wished she could be a fly on the wall for the coming conversation.

Toby slowly made his way to his brother in law's office, dreading going there at all, but when The Goblin King made a request of your presence, Toby felt inclined to obey. Eventually he hoped he wouldn't be so intimidated by the man, but that feeling was still there.

The guard saw his coming, and having been informed to watch for him, opened the door to gesture him inside.

He slowly entered, seeing Jareth standing at the window.

"Your Maj.. I mean Jareth? You wanted to speak with me?" Toby said, trying to remain calm.

Jareth of course, knew who it was and when he entered, he was trying to gather his thoughts. He knew the boy was still rather afraid of him, and supposed he could understand. Humans were the most fragile of beings in the underground.

He turned. "Hello, Toby, please, sit, let us converse in front of the fire. This castle does get drafty in the evenings."

Toby took a chair where Jareth had pointed.

Jareth went and took the chair across from him, he had decided to just be out with it.

"Toby, I have become aware you and my sister are rather, fond of each other. I do not disapprove if you wish to court my sister, but I need to explain a few things to you. I will be frank in my words, as I do believe you are old enough to hear it."

He went on to explain the bonding process and why Toby needed to be careful, and why they should wait before becoming physically involved.

"To be clear, virginity is not a prized possession as it is in the mortal world, you and my sister are of an age, where it is quite common that you both would consider taking a lover. There is nothing wrong with that, but you need to aware of the difficulties you face. It might be best for you to wait a while to engage in physical activities with any immortal female.

"If after a time of courting, you two become betrothed, then you can revisit the possibilities. I felt you needed to know this for your own protection. Bonding is a serious and binding commitment, and as a human, you would have no choice in the matter, once a physical relationship happens."

Toby was blushing again he knew. "Whoa. I had no clue. But ...I really like Jewel, she is so pretty, and smart, and, I really like being with her, I don't know about the whole love thing yet..but I promise I didn't plan on, ummm, doing that, yet. I'm not ready for that."

"Good you are wise enough to know if you are not ready yet. Most males are not that wise." Jareth replied, smirking. "I know I was not, but I do so wish I would have been when I was younger." He confided in the young man.

Toby smiled back, relaxing a little at the other man's words.

"Well nobody's perfect." he said.

Jareth laughed. "No truer words, my boy."

Jareth stood, and Toby stood up after. "Thank you Toby, for coming. I enjoyed our conversation. I hope that if you ever need anything, you will not hesitate to come to me. To me, you are my brother, and I would like it if someday you can consider me as such."

Jareth slowly stuck out a gloved hand, in a tradition of handshaking that Toby was familiar with. Toby grasped it tightly an shook it.

"Thanks, Jareth. I'm still getting used to stuff here, but I think it will all be okay as time goes by."

Jareth felt the boy's tension level lessen considerably, and he was glad of it.

"Yes, as I would expect. It does take time for people to get comfortable with each other." Jareth noticed the time.

"Shall we go to dinner? I am sure everyone will be waiting for us by now."

"Okay, I'm starving anyway." Toby said.

The two walked to the dining hall together, in what they both hoped was a budding trust and friendship.

As they entered they noticed there was quite a bit of excitement and activity.

"What is going on in here? the king asked loudly. The din quieted.

Sarah turned, she had a huge smile on her face. "Your Majesty! You will never guess!"

"Guess what precious? Are we now playing "Guess your dinner?" Jareth asked her.

Sarah laughed. "No...come and sit!"

Jareth complied, with Toby following, taking his now usual place next to his sister.

"Very well, I am seated. What is going on here?" Jareth asked again.

"Well for that, I turn the floor over to Caolin and Sherryana." She answered. gesturing to the couple sitting nearby.

Caolin stood, and offered his hand to his wife, who took it and stood next to her husband. "My Lord, the Queen already knows, but we would like to announce to you, that we are expecting a child."

Jareth knew it was coming, the way fertility seemed to have spread across his lands since his and Sarah's conceiving their daughter, but did not say that. He stood and walked to the couple.

"My congratulations Sir Caolin." He bowed then turned. "And to the Lady Sherryana." He took her hand and kissed it. "May your child bring you as much joy as mine and the Queen's have brought us."

He then made his way to sit next to his wife. "How long have you known?" He asked Sarah.

"Sherryana just told me a little while ago. I'm sorry I couldn't keep it in, so pretty much everyone knew before you did." She said.

He chuckled. "I see. Well, I will forgive you your indiscretion..this time." Then he winked at her turning his head so no one else would see.

Sarah blushed prettily.

"I have a surprise for you, Your Majesty. After dinner, then I need to feed the baby, but after that, I will give you something special. She is still sleeping now, Moirah offered to stay with her."

"Well well..something special you say? What is it?" He demanded.

"Nope, not getting it out of me. You have to wait, and don't try any of your "Goblin King" stuff on me. Getting all demanding and stern. You WILL wait."

He turned to the others talking around him. "Well, let us see.."

Sarah stopped him. "Hah! No one else knows what it is, so don't even think to try, sneaky."

He gave her a "Hmph" look, but at that moment Lyndele brought him a plate of food and a goblet of wine, so he turned to thank him. After he left he turned back to Sarah, leaning in and whispering in her ear.

"Soon, my love, you will need to be punished for all these little indiscretions of yours that I have let slide these past months. I will have my..pound of flesh." He leaned a little closer and flicked out his tongue, licking her earlobe, making her tingle.

"Ahem..Jareth.. not here." Sarah whispered back. "We will talk about it later. After your surprise. Trust me..you will love it."

He pulled back, taking a long drink of wine. "As you wish, My Sarah." He said narrowing his eyes at her, curious at what plot she had come up with now.

She grinned inwardly. It was going to a interesting evening, to be sure.

She turned back to her meal, joining in the happy chatter around the table, trying not to think of the delightful night to come.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Sarah had fed the baby and tucked her in, so under the watchful eye of Justinia, Harmony was quite safe and content for the evening.

She took the smaller cradle and placed it in the other woman's rooms to make it convenient for her.

Sarah entered the chambers she shared with her husband, hoping she beat him there.

"So precious, what is this surprise you have for me?"

Darn. No such luck. Sarah though to herself.

"Have a little patience, husband. I swear you are like a kid in a candy store." She remarked smartly.

"Did you not say, once dinner was over, and after the babe was settled, you would give it to me? Am I mistaken?" Jareth replied, getting up from his chair and strolling across the room to stand in front of Sarah. "Sooo..what is it?"

"Alright, but you have to do something for me. Something that might be hard to do...for you anyway. You have to trust me completely, and follow my lead, no questions asked." She paused waiting to see what he would say.

"I do trust you completely, but following anyone's lead is really not my nature." He said warily.

"I know. but I swear, it is something you will enjoy. Just give me control for a few minutes." She asked of him.

He observed her, noting the pleading looking in her eyes, and nodded reluctantly. "Very well."

Sarah motioned for him to sit, and pulled out a scarf, and tied it over his eyes.

"Can you see anything?" She asked.

"No, I cannot. A magic trick perhaps, love?" He raised his brow over the blindfold.

"I'm going to take us somewhere, and change our clothes once we get there, then I'll be ready." She said, creating a crystal powerful enough to move them both.

She guided Jareth to a standing position, and holding his hand, activated the crystal.

Jareth felt the shift and then his feet were once again on solid ground, then felt an all over tingle as his clothes changed...and felt Sarah let go of his hand.

"Well, what's next, Sarah mine?"

He got no response.

He pulled off the scarf and saw he was standing in the tunnels beneath The Labyrinth, just outside the oubliette. Puzzled, he looked around and saw Sarah was not there. He also noticed he was wearing his grey leggings and red jacket, an old favorite of his, as opposed to his basic black pants and grey tunic he had been wearing. Interesting.

"Sarah? Wherever did you go?" He called loudly enough that is she was anywhere nearby, she should have answered.

Just then he noticed a piece of paper laying by his feet.

_Find me._

He smiled. Ahh. She wants to play a game. Well, lucky for me, games are my specialty. He thought, and took off walking through the tunnels.

"Now..where could you be my little minx of a wife?" And what is this about?" He said out loud, making sure he said it so he was pretty sure she would here. The tunnels echoed quite nicely, so if she was down here, she would hear.

He wandered the tunnels for a few minutes, past the false alarms, noticing something. Picking up the cloth, he saw it was Sarah's dress. "My beloved are you wandering the tunnels in your altogether? I'm sure the false alarms enjoyed that. No wonder they said nothing. You rendered them speechless."

Looking closer, he saw they had been frozen.

"Oh I see. Neutralizing all the witnesses to your nakedness. Good thing."

As he kept going, he realized he was nearing that place in the tunnels, the one where he confronted her so long ago, She made him angry then, and he liked it. Defiant vixen. He rounded the corner, and there she was..but she wasn't naked, she was...he slowed as he approached her, examining her from head to toe.

See was wearing jeans, a white tunic and a brocade vest, her hair clipped on one side, brown loafers. She had straightened her hair, and looked so much like she had when they had first met here he got a bit lightheaded for a few seconds having a massive episode of deja vu.

Now the reason for his clothing came to him. This was *that* jacket.

All of the sudden he realized exactly what she was doing, and changed his gait, stalking towards her, smirking.

"And what do we have here?"

Sarah played her role to the hilt, every bit the fearful runner of long ago. "Goblin King! I...I... " Then she pulled herself up to full height and glared at him. "Give me my brother back!"

Sarah knew she would have to modify the conversation a bit. Obviously having to leave Hoggle out of the equation, and trying to play it as if he was never part of this particular time in her journey.

Jareth moved closer, stepping easily into his role as the fearsome Goblin King.

"Sarah Sarah Sarah, you know that cannot do that. We all have our parts to play. If you want to be the heroine, you must see this out."

He was right in front of her now, noting the flaring of desire in her eyes before she managed to cover it up.

She pressed herself against the wall of the tunnel.

Jareth placed his hand above her head, and leaned in. "Tell me Sarah..how are you enjoying my Labyrinth?" He said in a low tone, raising his brow.

Sarah's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile, matching him raised eyebrow for raised eyebrow. "It's a piece of cake."

He cupped her face with his free hand, smiling back. "Well, then let's see how deal with this little slice." He moved fast, pressing her against himself, and brought his mouth crashing down on hers. Tasting probing..pulling on her hair so that her head tipped further.

They kissed furiously for a moment, then Sarah wretched herself away from him, panting.

"Do you kiss all your runners that way Goblin King?" She asked.

He chuckled. " No, I can honestly say, you are the first."

I'll make you a deal." She said, lightly touching his chest.

"Hmmm..I can also say you would be the first runner I made a deal with, precious girl. Once a runner rejects their dreams and enters the game, there are no more deals, only winning, or losing."

She took a step towards him, then with cat like reflexes she now possessed, he found himself pressed against the wall.

"Here is the deal. I'll give you what you really want, if you give me what I want."

"Really now?" And what do you know of what a Goblin King wants, Sarah?"

She cupped him then, stroking him lightly. Make him swallow hard and moan a little. It had been so long.

"I can venture a guess."

She could see his eyes dilating.

"My dear Sarah...always after my baubles." He quipped, trying to concentrate on the conversation instead of the sensations her ministrations were causing.

"My question is, is that what you want, or what I want?"

It was her turn to laugh. "Oh I think we can..come..to a mutual agreement. I think we could find a way for both of us to win."

"My my my.. you are a clever girl." He answered.

"If only I had thought of it the first time around." she said, leaning herself against him.

He wrapped his arms around her. "I tried not to, so very young..and still able to drive me to the verge of ripping you from the game and ravishing you until you surrendered. May I ask you something? I mean before we return to our roles."

"Yes." She answered.

"Why this place? This moment?"

She listened to his heart beating. "Because this was when I first knew I was attracted to you. I was 15 and wanted you to kiss me, and I didn't know why. I thought I hated you, that you were a nasty rotten cheat who terrorized Hoggle and stole my brother...and yet I wanted nothing more, in that moment for you to just lean in a little further and put you lips on mine. I thought I had lost my mind."

"Another 30 seconds and I might have, Hoggle be damned." He answered. "by the way..I seem to recall this afternoon, something about having to wait longer to be together?"

Sarah giggled. "I have a confession to make..I sort of lied..I wanted it to be special..not just a quickie in your study."

"And hear I thought you rather enjoyed our brief interludes in my study...and in your study..and in the gardens, the throne room, and.." He said laughing.

"Okay okay, I know, we have done he deed in almost every room of the castle, and beyond." She pushed him back. "Now, back to my game, Goblin King."

He grinned ferally down at her, waiting for her to make the next move putting his hands behind hi back and conjuring up his crop.

She tried to make her face look as innocent as possible. "So, please, what can I do, to get you to make a deal with me."

"Well, then, young lady, you think you know what I want..why don't you tell me." He brought his crop up, an ran it up the middle of her chest, under her chin, tipping her face to his.

Sarah let her lower lip quiver just a little. "I think you want...something that will please you, to be..satisfied...that you are making a good bargain, that is."

He observed her with hooded eyes. "Oh yes, what I want most is be truly satisfied..sated, and to be sure what I receive in return for what I give will be of equal value."

"What do you want? I will do anything..Goblin King, I swear it." She pleaded, fluttering her lashes at him.

"Come with me then, girl." He commanded, heading back to the oubliette. She followed silently.

Once inside the enclosed room, Jareth wove a spell so that the room was sound proof and guarded against any eyes that might try to see in. They were completely alone.

He conjured a comfortable throne like chair, and sat.

"Come to me. Stand here in front of me." He said firmly. She did as she was told.

"Remove your clothes, girl." Sarah started to grin, but pulled back at the last second, and slowly, reluctantly stripped off her clothing, watching his eyes, seeing the desire in them flare to life as her nude body was revealed to him. Acting shy, as the game required.

"Now, on your knees." With a flick of a finger there was a cushion for her to kneel upon.

She once again acquiesced, naked in front him, seeing he was clearly excited.

He caressed her lightly with his crop. "Your body pleases me very much, you are very beautiful."

He lightly ran his crop over her nipples, watching them harden, then moved it downward to run it across her abdomen just above her pubic hair. Sarah's breathing quickened.

"So girl, what do you think you could do that will please me further?"

He leaned back and put one leg over the arm of his chair, thrusting his pelvis towards her, relaxing into the chair. Damn he is sexy, Sarah thought to herself.

She kept her character up though, not letting herself say what she was thinking. "Ummm..well..Your Majesty..what would you like me to do?"

He smiled his most wicked smile. "Touch me...we will see where it goes from there won't we?"

Sarah licked her lips, shy reaching out and running her fingertips up his legs, onto his strong thighs, stopping just before she reached the growing bulge in his leggings. She looked up to see his eyes half closed, watching her, wanting her to continue.

She added a stammer to her voice. "Ohh..oh my Goblin King, you are very...I'm not sure if I can.."

He touched her face with his crop. "I have confidence in you, keep going, girl."

He undid the clip in her hair, and ran his fingers through the silky dark tresses.

"So soft..." He said.

She tentatively touched his erection, rubbing him with just the lightest touch, he moaned, and she touched him a little harder.

"Yesss.." He hissed through his teeth.

Sarah grasped the waistband of his pants a tugged them down, Jareth raising his backside off the chair so she could get them off and out of the way. Then he sat up and took of his jacket, throwing it to the side.

She freed his shaft, widening her eyes in feigned shock. "Oh..wow.."

"Keep going." He growled. "With your mouth, if you please...girl.." His mouth pulling up in one corner.

Sarah wrapped her hands around his cock, and licked the tip, tasting the drops of fluid there. He was already as hard as she had ever seen him..but then again it had been a first touch of her tongue upon him in months.

The sensation almost made him jump out of his skin, he desperately wanted to push her to the ground and drive himself into her, but he didn't, yet.

She kept licking him gingerly, making his hips thrust lightly, and his breaths come quicker and deeper.

She wrapped he lips around him, and sucked, finding that most sensitive spot she knew so well, making him gasp and groan.

"You taste amazing, Your Majesty..I hope I am pleasing you well."

"You are doing wonderfully, don't stop now." He replied in between moans.

She didn't stop. She kept it up, harder and faster, pumping him with her hand. Hearing him purr with excitement. She knew that meant he was getting close to his release...how she loved that low purring noise he made.

Sarah's thighs were damp and sticky with excitement...she keeping pleasuring him, but could not help but start rubbing herself with her free hand, he lower half squirming on the cushion. She moaned deep in her throat, the vibrations of it driving Jareth to the edge.

He took her head in his hands and thrust up into her mouth, feeling his testicles tighten..."Gods!" He gasped out, then he released into her soft sucking mouth.

She swallowed it all down, loving his taste, that spicy sweetness that was uniquely Jareth. Then she licked him clean, with him watching her through slitted eyes.

When she was done, she sat back on her heels, putting her hands on his knees to steady herself.

Jareth rolled his head back, then up, opening his eyes and watching her..there eyes meeting and holding.

"Are you pleased now...Your Majesty?" She asked, a catlike grin forming on her lips.

"Mmmm..very much so. You have a talented little mouth." He noticed her damp fingers. and picked up her hand. Leaning forward, he tasted her fingers, sucking them into his mouth. running his tongue over and around, recognizing her taste.

"You naughty girl, were you touching yourself? I didn't say you could please yourself did I?"

"No...but I couldn't help myself." She answered." I was so..excited."

He put his leg down and leaned forward, pulling her chin forward, and kissed her lightly.

"Well, we cannot have that can we...Why don't you lay back and...please yourself..for me."

A wave of his hand and a thick pile of blankets and furs were laid out behind her.

She laid back, looking up at him wide eyes, playing coy and shy.

He could see how wet she was, he was very tempted to help her. but instead shrugged his shirt off, laid back and enjoyed the show.

Sarah first played with her breasts, her nipples hard and extra sensitive, then moved her hand down over her belly, watching him...he leaned forward a little, his chin on his hand..licking his own lips. in anticipation.

Her fingers reached their destination, parting her nether lips, opening her legs, so he could see her. Completely exposed to him, and vulnerable, but knowing no matter what game they may play, she was in complete safety. She rubbed her clit, and slid her fingers into herself, gasping..her other hand playing with her nipples.

Jareth watched his gorgeous wife bringing herself to climax, his manhood fully hard again already. He could smell her need, the scent of her making him shake with restraint to not join her.

"Come for me..now." He breathed.

Sarah gasped and moan rubbing herself harder..she was almost there. Then she cried out as she reached her climax, her back arching, hips thrusting upward.

Once it was done, her body completely relaxed, and she looked at her husband, seeing he was fully hard again. She knew it took every ounce of strength he had not throw himself on top of her and thrust himself inside.

She knew him very well.

Jareth slid off of his chair, and stood on his knees at her feet, his erection standing strong and proud.

"Feel better...girl?" He asked.

She nodded, smiling softly. "I feel better..but not as good as I could feel."

He leaned over her and took her hand.. "What can I do to help you?" He asked, licking her fingers.

"I thought I was supposed to please you...Goblin King." She replied.

"It would please me, to give you pleasure." He stated to the woman laying supine before him.

She nodded. "I want you to.. well..you know..I would like it if you.."

He grinned at her playacting. In truth Sarah had no problem telling him what she liked, and he knew what she wanted.

"Would you like me to..taste you?" He asked.

"Oh god yes." she answered.

Jareth felt a feeling of triumph..he would enjoy this very much. Her taste drove him insane, he had missed it.

He kicked off his boots and stripped off his leggings the rest of the way, wanting to be naked too. He smoothed his hands over her sweet lush body, tweaking her nipples.

He moved to sit between her legs, and caressed them upward, parting them further, looking upon her sweetness.

He laid down and licked her thighs, damp with her orgasm. He wrapped his hands around her legs, and kissed her folds, them parted her with his tongue, his eyes on her face as she trembled and moaned. Her full lips open as she panted.

He dove in, suckling her clit, driving his tongue into her, lapping at her juices. If he could, he would spend his life pleasing her in this way, she tasted so good to him. He concentrated on her bud, and slid two fingers inside, rubbing her most sensitive spot there, pressing and making circles, knowing just how to drive her over the edge.

Sarah grabbed his head and pushed her center into his mouth, groaning his name...then she hit her second release, her juices flowing over his fingers, onto his tongue, and dripping onto the blankets beneath them.

Once the climax subsided, he kissed upward over her belly, stopping to lick each nipple, moving up to suck her neck, then finally driving his tongue into her mouth, holding her head in his hands and she tasted herself on his mouth. She could feel his cock pressing against her opening, straining to be inside her.

He pulled back and gazed into her green eyes, smiling.

"I missed you." She said. running her fingers over his face.

"I think you missed my tongue." He remarked. "And my baubles. Since I haven't gone anywhere."

"Hey..to be fair, you have to admit you missed my tongue too." She answered, giggling.

"I never denied it..my love. I must say..I enjoyed your game. Is it over?"

"What do you think?" She said.

He thought for a minute. "I'm not sure. Who won?"

She pushed him up, and sat up. "We have one more thing to do."

"Just one?" He pouted.

"Ugh..men." She rolled her eyes. "Okay two. I want you to make me the offer, then we will seal the deal..in a most pleasurable way."

"What offer?" he asked, confused.

The offer you made me before. I want to rectify the mistake I made, back then."

It suddenly dawned on him what she was talking about. He had let that go, but he had to admit, a tinge of distant pain squeezed his heart.

She felt it, knew it stilled hurt, which is why she wanted to do it right this time.

"Please Jareth, This is the one regret I know we both live with. no matter how far from it we get, I think until you say those words, and I give the answer I always wished I had given..it will still be there."

He lips tightened, but he nodded. She stood, and took his hands, pulling him up with her.

He formed a crystal in his hand, holding it out to her. "Look Sarah..look what I'm offering you..." She took a step toward him, he took a step back.

"Just let me rule you, and you can have everything that you want.." She took two more steps forward, as he stepped back again. She turned from him, contemplating his words.

He held the crystal out to her, as she thought. "Just fear me, love me..do as I say..and I will be your slave.." She turned back to him, meeting his eyes, she even saw that twinge of uncertainty there, that she had seen before.

She reached up and laid her hand on the crystal. What she saw there were her dreams, they night he came to her, themselves in the throes of passion, their laughter, their tears...the face of their child, everything that had happened since she had come here.

She smiled widely, with tears streaming down her face. "You have given me every dream I could ever want. I love you, I want you, and want my dreams, because you ARE my dreams, all of them..come true."

They held the crystal together, it glowed brightened, then it rolled out of their hands as they stared at each other. They both felt that wound caused by their separation years before, heal over and disappear.

They heard the crystal it hit the ground and bounce.

Than he took her into his embrace, caressing her face. He kissed her with all the passion and pain they had experienced both together and alone.

She removed herself from his arms, looking up at him. "Now about these terms...I could never fear you, ..but I love you with all my heart and soul. You know that "doing as you say" thing doesn't really work for me, but then again, I don't think you really want to be my slave..except maybe in bed."

"Agreed, precious. You are bit to obstinate to try an exert any really control over. Why don't we just agree that in bed, being each other's slave is accepted...but being equal in all other things would be much easier on both of us." He took her hands in his.

Sarah nodded. "I accept those terms."

She pressed herself against him again, kissing him. "Now lets seal this deal."

Sarah knelt and pulled him down to the furs and blankets he had provided.

She laid down and he laid down next to her, both kissing and caressing each other, he laid on top of her, opening her legs looking into her green eyes.

"I want you..now." She said.

He said nothing..but sheathed himself inside her moist warmth, as they started into each other's eyes.

The both moaned at their joining, haven't experienced it in several months. Just laying there for a moment, looking at each other.

Sarah tipped her head up, to give her husband access to her throat, which he took..biting and sucking her skin, as he began thrusting in and out of her, feeling her walls grasping him.

He pumped harder, and Sarah wrapped her legs around his waist, tipping her pelvis and undulating upward, giving him deeper access.

Jareth moved downward and laved her nipples with his tongue, as she arched her back, and he held onto her hips, grunting with exertion. He moved a hand down to where they were joined, and pressed his fingers to her clit, then circling and rubbing it with his fingers, wanting her to be completely satisfied.

Sarah held his body tightly to herself, and getting some leverage rolled him over, while still keeping him firmly inside of her.

She sat up, rolling her hips, thrusting herself down on opened herself to his energy, and knew he was as close to orgasm as she was.

She rode him as hard as she could, they were both panting and groaning, out each others names.

Then together they fell into sweet oblivion, bodies slick with sweat and their combined fluids, Jareth's hand upon her hips as she scratched her nails down his chest.

She laid down on him, he head on his chest, listening to their pounding hearts beating in time.

He wrapped his arms around his beloved, unwilling to let her part from him.

They laid like that for sometime, each other's hands softly caressing the other, saying nothing.

No words needed to be said.

She let her body slide off to the side. He turned to face her.

"I love you, Sarah mine."

She smiled. "And I you. I think we can consider this deal properly sealed."

They both laughed at that.

"Yes..indeed." Jareth answered, sounding completely relaxed.

They cuddled for a while, but Sarah knew they would eventually have to go back to the castle.

She sat up, and turned to her husband. "We better tidy up here, and get back. I imagine Harmony will be hungry soon, and Justinia will come looking for me."

"Ahhh...I guess we should." Jareth agreed, reluctantly.

They stood, clothed themselves, Jareth sending everything back to it's rightful place in their chambers, and removing the enchantment that kept anyone from hearing ans seeing what was taking place there. Before he turned to leave, he noticed the crystal on the floor.

He picked it up and looked at it. Curious he thought. It should have disappeared. Shrugging, he tucked it into his cape as Sarah turned to him. He took her hand and they disappeared, reappearing in their rooms.

They went and took a quick bath together, and climbed into bed.

A few minutes later, there was soft knock on the door.

Sarah turned to Jareth. "See..I knew she was bringing the baby soon."

She got out of bed, and shrugged on her robe, tying it in front.

She went through the sitting room to the door, and could her her fussy daughter on the other side.

She opened the door to a smiling Justinia.

"How was your evening, My Lady?" She asked.

"It was wonderful, thank you." Sarah answered as she took the child from her. and cradled her against herself.

"I am so grateful that you were willing to watch her so late. I hope it wasn't an inconvenience."

"Not at all" Justinia answered. Then blushed a little. "Merrik kept me company, we had a nice talk, and had an enjoyable evening. He helped a great deal with the baby. He loves children, you know."

Sarah grinned at the other woman's shy excitement. "Well, he is a healer, so that's a good thing. Thank you again, I'll let you get back to your evening."

Justinia bowed slightly. "Goodnight, Sarah." She said, then turned and left.

Sarah closed the door, and carried Harmony into the bedchambers.

"She is a fussy one tonight, she must be really hungry."

She shed her robe and got back into bed, placing the babe to her breast. Harmony immediately latched on, and relaxed, nursing contentedly.

Jareth moved to rope an arm around his wife, placing his chin on hers shoulder, watching.

"There is no more beautiful sight I have ever seen, than this right here in front of me. Our child at your breast."

She turned and met this eyes. Feeling his utter peace wrap around her.

They said nothing more. When Harmony was sated, and sleepy, Sarah went a placed her gently in the cradle that had reappeared a few feet away.. then curled up next to her gorgeous husband, and they slept.

The next day, the usual cacophony greeted them at breakfast. Sarah looked around at her beautiful family, from her daughter in her arms, to Jareth, to Toby, laughing with Jewel, to Caolin and Sherryana, the blonde beginning to grow with child, and glowing while talking and laughing with her beloved husband.

She looked to her in laws, noticing Merrik sitting close to Justinia, Illiana speaking quietly with Jastiel, and Jolena and Ivan joining in.

They had invited Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus(and Ambrosious) to join them this morning. Hoggle looked up and waved at her, she waved back.

She had never imagined such happiness could exist for her, just less than 2 years ago.

Her eyes wandering back to Jareth, who was looking at her questioningly. She smiled and grabbed his hand, their fingers intertwining.

Something profound had happened the night before. They were not sure what it was, but it deepened their bond in ways she could not begin to fathom.

Later that afternoon, she found him sitting on their balcony, his back against the wall, one leg up, holding a crystal.  
"What is that, my husband?" She wondered.

He turned and made a space so she could sit she put her legs up and leaned back against him, also looking at the crystal.  
"I am not sure, my Sarah. It is the crystal from last night. I cannot seem to make it disappear. I've tried everything, and still it remains. Curious"

She touched the crystal, laying her hand on it. It felt warm..when the both touched it, she could see again what she saw in it the night before, scenes for the life they had built..her dreams...his dreams too, she thought. At least now.

"It's like a tangible piece of of us, our combined love, our bond."

Jareth nodded. "Yes. Watch."

He flicked it toward the wall inside, it bounced, jingling and rolling. He put out his hand and it floated back landing in his hand again.

"I believe we created something here, something I have never seen before, something not known to my world. A combined magic so strong it is unable to be destroyed..even by us."

Sarah sat up and turned smiling up at him. "Yes, that is exactly what we have created. More proof that no matter what happens, we can never be destroyed, or kept from each other."

She kissed his soft lips. "I think you are stuck with me, Jareth. Despite what you say, I think our bond IS permanent. I'm pretty sure this crystal is telling us that."

"I do believe you are right, my love. Ah well..might as well be resigned to it then. What a fate to be stuck with you for all eternity." He laughed as she punched him lightly on the arm.

"Hey! I'm stuck with you too. And here I thought you were imaginary." She replied.

She stood and took his hand guiding him back into the room.

"I take it you realize how real I am now, precious." He answered, smirking as he let her lead him inside.

"I'm not sure..prove it to me Goblin King" Sarah said giving him a cheeky grin.

"My pleasure." He purred.

They went inside, closing the balcony door behind them.

He spent the rest of afternoon, proving to his beautiful queen how real he was.

Out over the Labyrinth, birds swooped down to their nests, contently settling down with their mates for the night as evening fell, and the stars shone brightly over The Goblin Kingdom.


	19. Chapter 19

Epilogue.

The raucous laughing of children in the garden drew the Goblin King to the window. Down below he could see the group of little ones running about, playing some sort of game.

He could see his wife sitting on a blanket in the grass with his sisters and her assistant, watching the commotion.

He turned to his friend and aide, Caolin. "I do believe there is a bit of a party in the gardens, Sir Caolin. Would you like to join them?"

Caolin stood. "We seem to be clear for the afternoon, My Lord, I do believe the kingdom will survive if we spend the rest of the day with our families."

Jareth smirked. "Indeed." The men exited the room heading towards the noise of laughter and talking below.

In the gardens, The Goblin Queen watched and giggled at the antics of the children playing tag.

Her oldest, her quiet dark haired daughter Harmony, even joined in, chasing the younger ones, then letting them catch her.

She was in her teen years now, at least in underground years. It was hard to tell how many mortal years had passed anymore for Sarah and Toby. They didn't keep track the way the did the first few years they were there.

Her beautiful first born child. Tall and lean like her father, she also had his cheekbones, but with the oval face and full mouth of her mother, and those brilliant turquoise eyes that seemed all too wise for her young years..she was a lovely sight.

The last trip to the capitol city had been a traumatic one for Harmony's parents, as young men were starting to notice her unique beauty.

Immortal females were usually not tall, Sarah at 5'5 was considered tall for a woman there, but Harmony was almost as tall as her father, so she was literally head and shoulders above other immortal females.

Next oldest was another daughter, Lily. She had wild blonde hair like Jareth, but more curly, but beyond that was the copycat of her mother, with her green eyes, and inheriting her sweetness and sunny smile.

She was just a few years behind Harmony, just entering her preteen stage. The two girls were very close, still sharing rooms, even though Lily's bubbly nature got on her older sisters nerves now and then.

Then the twin boys, Robert and Perryn, named after Sarah's father, and the man who gave his life to save hers. Also blond but with blue eyes, like their father. They were her mischievous little imps, forever getting into mischief with goblins along for the adventure.

Also in the group were Sherryana and Caolin's son and daughter, both with the brown hair of their father, but their son Zane had his mother's blue eyes, and daughter Bria, Caolin's warm brown hue.

Jolena and Ivan's son, also named Ivan(called Van by his cousins) Had the red hair that came from his grandmother's side of the family.

Lastly, was Justinia's little daughter Nalah, with her husband Merrik, She was a tiny auburn haired, blue eyed dynamo, who adored animals and was constantly bringing wounded creatures for her father to heal.

Jareth's family had eventually chosen to move permanently to The Goblin Kingdom, with the arrival of so many grandchildren, Illiana and Jastiel finally relented and left he capital city behind, to watch their grandchildren grow up, and to be close to their own children.

Jareth had built them a separate "family" residence so Sarah could get a break from her mother-in-law. While the eventually warmed to each other to a certain degree, their relationship was still a bit prickly.

Sarah heard a noise behind her, and turned, seeing her husband and friend coming down the path. She smiled, her face alight at seeing her beloved.

"Aren't you supposed to be working?"She asked.

Jareth smiled back at her, as he took a place beside her.

"Caolin and myself noticed you were all having such a grand time, we felt inclined to come and see what all the excitement was about."

"Daddy!" He heard as two small bodies hit him full force. His sons knocked him backwards,and hugged him with all their might.

"Hello my boys!" He said, sitting up with them, settling them in his lap. "And what grand adventures are you planning to torture your mother and I with today?"

"Well..'Mony was saying maybe we could go to the lake soon...could we daddy?" Robert asked.

There was small lake not to far from the Castle, where the king liked to take his family for outings quite often. The children loved playing in the multicolored sand and swimming, they would picnic and play all day until they wore themselves out.

"Ahhh..maybe in a few days. We will see, alright?" They boys nodded. "Why don't you go back to your game? In fact.." He whispered something in their ear, and their eyes light up.

They took off full speed, headed right for Hoggle who was sitting on a nearby bench. He loved the "young 'uns," as he called them, very much. Sarah considered him their uncle...her old friend was grateful of her continued friendship and affection.

Hoggle saw the two boys headed right for him. "Now boys, Hoggle isn't really in-the mood for.. gaaahhh!"

They two boys knocked the old dwarf off the bench, holding him down, and tickling him. laughing madly. Hoggle was rolling around trying to get away, finally managing to get to his feet. Dusting himself off.

The boys hugged onto him. "We love you Hoggle!"

He returned the hugs. Then scolded them lightly. "You boys are too much like yer father."

Sarah poked Jareth in the side. "Did you tell them to do that? "

He gave her that feral grin of his. "Would I do such a thing? Tell our sweet children to annoy dear Hoghead so?"

She snorted out a laugh, poking him again. "Jareth..don't encourage them." She called them back to her. "Now boys, let Hoggle alone, go back to playing with the other kids."

As they ran off she turned back to her husband. "Do I have to remind you, Hoggle is my friend? He is also very good with the children, so quit picking on him."

Jareth nodded slightly. "Of course, precious."

She knew he was just humoring her, but let it go. It was a never ending battle.

"What on earth is going on out here!" They heard a deep, amused voice behind them. Everyone turned.

"Uncle Toby!" Lily cried, running to him, he swept her up into his arms hugging the girl to himself.

"There is my sweet Lily!" He said kissing her on the nose, making her giggle, then sat her down.

Sarah observed her brother. He was tall and strong, a few inches taller than Jareth, and broader of shoulder, but almost as lean.

His long blonde hair pulled back in it's customary leather cord, hanging all the way down his back, and his bright blue eyes twinkling as he set his eyes on his sister.

"Hey sis." He said.

"Good afternoon, Tobes." She smiled back.

She felt her heart fill with pride. Her father and Karen would be so proud of the man he had become. He looked very much like their father in the face, but with Karen's eyes. He had developed a love for the sword, and was now a master trainer at the castle, and working his way to be a commander of the guards.

He was also betrothed to the petite redheaded woman sitting just the other side of his sister.

Jewel stood and walked to her fiance, putting an arm around his waist, and letting him lean in for a kiss.

They had went to Jareth several months ago, asking for permission to marry. He had watched their real love for one another grow and develop slowly but steadily these past years, and after some thought, approved.

He could think of no better husband for his youngest sister. They would be a good match, much like himself and his wife. It wouldn't be long now that they would be truly joined, then they would be free to bond. They long ago decided that waiting until marriage, was the best choice for them.

Unlike most underground weddings, they had decided to make a real celebration of it, since they would be the last of that generation to marry.

Jareth stood and Sarah grabbed his hand. "Help me up, Your Majesty?" She asked him.

He gently helped lift his wife up off the blanket.

"As a matter of curiosity, how did you get down there anyway?" He said, amused.

She giggled. "Not easily I'll tell you that, Moirah helped me." She gestured to the older woman sitting a little away from the group, but still enjoying the activity around her.

Jareth rubbed a gloved hand over her rounded belly. Their 5th child would be here in a matter of a month or two, another boy.

They asked Moirah to become a permanent resident of their castle shortly after Lily had been born. Not only was she a midwife, she was also an amazing nanny, still reserved, but she loved all these children she had helped bring into the world as much as their parents.

She had taken on a motherly role when it came to Sarah, and this brood of younglings looked to her as more of a grandmother, than a nanny, though they called her "Nanny."

She had shaken her head in wonder when Sarah had again become pregnant. Never in all her years had she seen an immortal woman as fertile as The Goblin Queen.

Most Immortal women were luck to have 2 or 3 full term children in their extremely long lives..She had thought that Jareth's youngest sister was an anomaly, when she had been born to Jastiel and Illiana.

Sarah had somehow retained some of her fertile nature from been born mortal, so who knew how many babies they might produce.

Of course privately she also thought that the fact the couple could barely keeps their hands off each other had a great deal to do with it.

Most immortal couples were not that enamored of each other in that way, tending to drift into affairs and such after a time.

The passion those two had for each other was palpable to the older woman, and anyone else who observed them together as much as she had done.

"Come and walk with me, precious." Jareth requested of Sarah, she readily complied.

Moirah told her that walking was good for her, so the couple had got into the habit of taking afternoon walks whenever possible.

They enjoyed the time alone to talk and just be together.

Sarah tucked her hand in Jareth's arm and they strolled away from the group, walking towards the garden entrance to The Labyrinth, entering into the great maze, listening to the buzz of fairies and chirping of birds.

The Labyrinth might be a bit dangerous for runners, but for the King and Queen it was perfectly safe and welcoming.

"You are well?" The king asked.

Sarah rolled her eyes and laughed, no matter how many children they had, she had a feeling he was always going to fuss over her.

"I feel wonderful, love. This is not like my last two pregnancies at all, more like Harmony, nice and mellow. Thank goodness, after those 2 hellions that are way to much like you."

"You sound like Hoggle." Jareth said wryly.

"Well he has a point. Those two are going to be hell on wheels when they hit their teens. I hope you know you are the one teaching them magic." Sarah told him, wagging her finger.

"Which reminds me, how is Harmony coming along in her lessons? I'm still a little hurt you know. She is all about Daddy."

"I wouldn't worry Sarah, she will need both of us to learn all she needs to know, eventually, and she needs both of us to protect her for the foreseeable future." He answered.

"She is potentially the strongest magic wielder this world has ever known, love. I am proud, but it worries me. We are lucky she is a responsible leveled headed girl. If she went wild no one could control her, except possibly you and I combined."

"Still yet, if anyone outside this kingdom finds out her enormous strength, who knows what they would try to do to get that under their control. I have yet to find a weakness in her gifts."

"Do you think she is in danger?" Sarah asked, alarmed.

Jareth soothed his wife through their bond. "Not at this time, of course not. She is here with her family and trusted friends. when she is of age, and enters society proper, then we will have to watch closely who takes an interest in her."

Sarah nodded, feeling a little less worried. Not much, she is her mother after all, but a little. "What about the other children?"

Jareth answered with some puzzlement in his voice."They don't seem to have the same type of magic, all within normal range for their age and development. It must be because Harmony is our first born, is all I can come up with. She was as strong as us when she was the boy's age. That is not normal. I have spent many hours researching, there is no precedent for this situation."

They walked in silence for a while after that, both lost in thought.

"Your Majesties, Lady Sarah, Lord Jareth, what fine day for a walk!" They heard and turned. Sir Didymus and Ludo were there, the fox knight deeply bowing to his sovereigns. Ambrosious off to the side, panting away.

"Sawah! King!" Ludo bellowed.

"Hello my friends!" Sarah said, happy to see her friends. She went and hugged both as tight as she could. The creatures, always mindful of when she was with child, hugged her back carefully.

"What are you three up to?" She asked them.

"We are on our way to the gathering in your beautiful gardens My Lady." Didymus answered, Ludo nodding along.

"Oh..Well, we were about to head back, shall we all walk together?" Jareth offered. He had made an effort to try to always be civil to Sarah's friends, because she made sure he knew she would not tolerate any different.

The two nodded, and they headed back to where the family and friends were gathered.

As soon as they came through the gate, The children saw Ludo and piled on top of the gentle beast. They adored him, and he them.

He told Sarah years before(with Didymus' help)That he would glad serve as a guard to the children if he was ever needed. As gentle as he was, Sarah knew if anyone he loved was in danger, he would lay down his life for them.

Sarah made her way to a chair and Sir Didymus followed her chattering away about this and that. He had grown on on Jareth, but the king still occasionally had to curtail his running commentary with threats of magically removing his power of speech. Didymus fortunately always took the hint.

Sarah really enjoyed it when she got to spend time with Ambrosious. He reminded her so much of Merlin. She missed having a dog, that is one thing she wished she could have from the aboveground.

Jareth told her the tale of Ambrosious. He was born in the above, and Jareth had been taking care of a wish away when he saw the pup, abused by it's owner(the one wishing his child away), in the corner of the room. The condition of the child and the dog so angered him he brought the dog with him to The Labyrinth, as he would not leave a plant in the care of that disgusting excuse for a parent.

When he brought him here, though, he was at a loss as what to do with the creature. He did not have time or inclination to care for a pet.

Sir Didymus, alone in his station of guarding the bridge over the bog, saw the pup and offered to take him, as he wanted a companion and he though the dog would make a fine steed when he grew up as well.

Jareth did not know if the dog would become immortal or not, but at least he would have a good life here, so he approved. So far, he was going strong, and had far outlived an expectations of a dog's lifespan above.

Hoggle came to greet his old friends, and Ludo, shedding his blanket of young immortal children with quiet patience and sending them one their way, lumbered over and sat on the ground near the group.

No matter what was going on in her day to day life, the three companions that had so heroically helped her in her first journey here always managed to lighten her mood and make her day brighter. To the three, Sarah was more than a queen or a friend, she was in their eyes a heroine and they always believed in her completely.

She could not ask for any better friends, and if she ever needed them, all she would ever have to do is call, and that extended now to her children.

All the children had heard the tale many times, of how their mother had conquered The Labyrinth, and with it, their father's heart.

Jareth made his way back to his wife, and she stood so he could sit, and she sat on his lap.

"Look what we did, Your Majesty." Sarah waved her arms dramatically, while watching the children playing and laughing, and their friends and family gathering for the impromptu garden party.

"We created a family..not just of our children, but made of our friends, our relatives, and ourselves. We did good."

Jareth smiled at his sentimental wife, kissing her on the cheek, then she turned and kissed him on the lips. "To think, precious, not so very long ago I would never have imagined any of this. Before I found you, I never had a notion I wanted this sort of life. I had resigned myself to a life of solitude, with only goblins for company."

"I wonder what the future holds for them, Jareth. what they will be doing in 1,000 years." Sarah asked in a dreamy voice. "I can't believe I'm even thinking about being alive in 1,000 years!" She sighed, shaking her head. "That's a mind blowing concept."

"I very much hope we will all be alive in 1,000 years, strong and vibrant as ever. You get used to it, as time passes. Though I have never lived any differently, I can imagine what it must feel like, born with the notion that 100 years would be a exceptionally long life, then all of the sudden, for all intents and purposes planning to live not decades or centuries, but for many thousands of years at least."

"I have to wonder if you will still find me hot and sexy then, husband. After being together that long. Passion being what it is, it tends to wane." Sarah whispered in his ear, so the children wouldn't overhear.

He wiggled his brows at her. "Not in 10,000 years will I tire of you. If the stars fall down around us, the last thing I will want to see is your eyes. I am addicted to you, just your scent makes me lightheaded. Even now, all I want is to carry you to bed and ravish you. I suspect such passion is terribly rare in all worlds, but we are proof it does exist."

Sarah wound her fingers through his hair, as their eyes met and held. They felt the thrumming of their bond pulsing around them.

The sounds of play, laughter and conversation faded into the background.

"If this is a dream, I pray I never wake." she said. "Kiss me, my imaginary king."

"As you wish, my love."

And so he did.

Fin.

**Author's Note:**

> This was my very first multi-chapter story from 2013. It's not perfect, have plotholes, typos and needs some work. It was meant originally to be a 5 chapter fluffy smut fest then developed a plot haha. but I'm posting here it warts and all for the time being, as I copy all of my work from FFN to here.  
Inspired by the fanart "Sarah and Jareth" by Louisa Gallie on DeviantArt.


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